Ke Maka'u loa Kane
by Irene Claire
Summary: Loosely translates to "The Dangerous Man." Someone from Danny's much too recent past returns for vengeance. Rated T just to be sure. My OC's of Doctor Ramirez and Ellen Ramirez will make an appearance.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: Special thanks to JazzieG and to CinderH for a huge amount of help with the beta of this new story. I gave them A LOT to contend with. The usual disclosure, caveats, et al about not being in the medical profession. A great deal of research was done for some of this .. but of course, greatly adapted to fit the goal of the story. (Fan Fiction reminder!)**

******Chapter One **

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

He arrived on the Island similarly to his first visit, but this time exited the plane properly. He accepted the welcoming lei but without a smile and then made a beeline to the taxi stand. Everything would be waiting for him as he'd asked - actually, as he paid for because each step of his plan was working perfectly.

Frankly, he deserved a break in this misery his life had become. And he only asked for a small one .. just enough of a break so he could set things right once and for all.

He got into next available cab and then yanked the flowers from his neck. The Hawaiian was friendly and chatty; he was not. In fact, he couldn't care less about small talk as his stomach rumbled unhappily. So he made one minor alteration in his plan. Giving the cabbie the address of the motel, he also wanted a nearby diner. One he could walk back to the motel from.

But the cabbie hesitated. "Here, brah? You want to stay here? You didn't use one of them cheap-o online _yeehaa_-type booking things .. because, _brah_ .. this place ..it's bad."

His anger flared then and the overly helpful cabbie immediately quieted. "It's your own troubles then."

With a negative shake of his head, he pulled away from the curb for the nearly 45 minute drive to the dilapidated and almost too remote dump. Parking in the rutted lot, he pointed half way down the block.

"There .. that shack down there is what they think is a diner. Eat at your own risk, brah." Without a word, his fare was tossed at him and the ugly Haole was gone.

No tip. No conversation. Ruined flowers now strewn across the backseat and floor of his car. The normally sunny-tempered cabbie left quickly with an uneasy, sour feeling in the pit of his own stomach.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **as guesses come in about who the baddie might be ... I will only admit that this started with one bad guy in mind. But shortly in the drafting stage, the saber-toothed bunny redefined the character and it is now someone else.

**Chapter Two**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

The raid went down like clock-work. Five-0 co-mingled with HPD early on a Wednesday morning well before the Italian restaurant opened for its usual lunch time crowd. After researching and confirming leads for weeks, the illegal gambling ring was efficiently terminated. Behind the kitchen and the false exit door, was a secondary fire door. And behind that, in full swing was an underground high stakes poker game. A key player was Mathew Danzby, the paunchy and balding son of CEO Mark Danzby.

The elder Danzby was the formerly well-respected head of Danzby Financial Partners, who had already been sentenced to 10 years in jail in February for operating a wire and investment advisory fraud scheme that lost his ignorant investors $22 million.

Danzby also had a habit of routinely participating in illegal, underground high stakes poker games and reportedly losing money just as regularly. In order to pay off his debts and continue his gambling obsession, the elder Danzby devised a Ponzi scheme - hence the wire fraud and related illegal investment activities.

Evidently, his son Matthew had the same unfortunate gaming affliction as he laid his hands palms facing down on the small table. Wearing the brightest, loudest Hawaiian aloha tourist shirt in the world, the toupee'd man looked ridiculous and Danny had to bite his tongue as he cuffed him. Because as his father's associates, contacts and cards came tumbling down, more arrests were now being made for others involved in the gaming ring.

"Lunch?" Danny asked as the last of the illegal high-stakes gamblers was handed off to a waiting HPD cruiser. "Because .. all of this excitement has made me hungry. But for some reason, I'm not exactly in the mood for Italian."

Steve snorted without looking up from what he was doing. "Bailey's Diner is easy enough. And they serve breakfast all day."

The friendly slap of agreement as Danny passed him by confirmed it an excellent choice as the two wandered out past the remaining officers who were trying to explain to the head chef that the restaurant would not be open for business that day. Or any time in the near future.

"Chin. Kono. We're grabbing a table at the diner." The two waved at Steve from the opposite side of the large dining room. They needed to wrap up a few more loose ends and would meet them there.

Tossing his keys once in the air, his fingers connected with nothing as Steve snared them easily. "Enough with my car!" Danny said in disgust as he tried once to get them back and failed.

"Rainman ring a bell?"

"It's just one block over, Danny!" Dodging his partner's grasp, Steve's eyes were laughing as he jogged quickly to the driver's side of the Camaro. "One block!"

"Exactly. My point!" Danny's smart remark didn't prove the point though as Steve revved the car's engine to drown him out. "Animal."

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Less than five minutes later, Steve was leaning over him or maybe he was actually on his knees. Danny's brain simply wouldn't cooperate and his hearing completely refused to kick in. In fact, the fuzzy disconnect between his two senses was startling.

For all he was worth, the only thing Danny was capable of doing was to look up at Steve and stare. Backlit by the sun at high noon, Steve was fussing with his bulletproof vest; unbuckling it, ripping at the velcro, and then gently taking it off Danny's torso. But whenever Steve's movements didn't block the sun's hot glare, Danny had to briefly close his eyes to avoid the sharper pains that blazed into his skull.

When he could, Danny continued to stare up at Steve focusing on the mouth that had yet to stop moving and seemed to be shouting either at him or to someone off to the side. Steve leaned closer and placed both his hands firmly on Danny's left side just below his last rib and off-center of his stomach. It pushed the small amount of air out of him and his eyes closed in a spontaneous reaction but it was also then that the first tendrils of pain began.

His left hand came up to weakly grip Steve's wrist but a sudden white hot slashing pain made Danny choke out a stunned whimper. The white noise of blood rushing through his ears made it impossible to hear and as his vision faded, his hand dropped away. The last thing Danny saw was Steve's darkening silhouette against the blue sky.

"Danny! Open your eyes!" Steve was virtually shouting down at his partner who had just seemingly stopped breathing as he vainly tried to stem the flow of blood from the bullet that had gone completely through Danny's vest. "God, Danny! Don't you dare do this. Open your eyes!"

The simple drive one block over for lunch had ended the minute Danny had slammed the passenger door to the Camaro and started his walk towards the rear of his car. Still geared up from the raid at the fancy Italian restaurant, he intended to drop his vest in the trunk. The low key diner was a perfect choice for a quick bite to eat before returning to the Palace.

But Danny had partly turned around to glance towards the park where a happy child was laughing. It was then that one shot had rung out. Just one and Danny had faltered noticeably.

"Steve?" The questioning tone from his partner was completely _off_. Turning back in surprise and with gun automatically in hand, Steve's eyes had first gone up to the high rise apartment building.

But then, they had fallen back down where he'd met Danny's confused expression. He was already near the rear of the Camaro with one hand poised on the trunk. Steve had barely caught him in time as he fell forward off the sidewalk and almost into the gutter. And then Steve had dragged him around the Camaro to the driver's side; sitting him up against the door and using his own body as a shield. Readying his own gun as people on the street screamed and ran for cover. The playground emptied in seconds with happy laughter ending in frightened cries.

And still, Steve hadn't yet realized the bullet had gone through the vest.

Not until he had really looked and seen Danny's ashen face and soundlessly moving lips. The blood on his fingers and then the amazed expression as he mouthed Steve's name before he'd simply slid bonelessly to the hot pavement.

The bullet had gone clean through the vest and Steve found himself awkwardly fumbling for the velcro straps. "No, this is impossible. Danny?"

Yet in the recesses of his mind, Steve was coming to terms with that terrible fact. Someone, somewhere high, had just methodically taken aim at Danny with a high-powered military style weapon. The bullet was of an armor-piercing quality; not exactly legal for the streets of Hawaii. And yet it had been used to do its lethal job as it penetrated Danny's Kevlar vest with ease.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **thank you all for the kind reviews! ;-) It totally makes my day!

**Chapter Three**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

A civilian had already called 911 which was both necessary and unnecessary. The Italian restaurant was only one block over and a battalion of HPD were still on site. Chin and Kono were also there helping Sergeant Duke Lukela but Steve would now need an ambulance. With no time to spare, Steve was thankful when he registered that even more sirens were steadily coming closer. He knelt next to Danny with both hands pressed into the wound and absolutely no sign that he was doing any good at all in stopping the volume of blood that was pooling between his fingers. More blood was oozing on to the pavement under Danny's back.

"Danny. Danny. Danny." It was all Steve could repeat as he listened to small, pained wheezes come out of his partner's half-parted lips. Moments later, Chin was next to both of them but Steve was still railing at Danny. He was completely shocked at the rapid change of events taking place.

"Come on, pal. Open your eyes."

"Steve?" Pulling the discarded vest closer, Chin seemingly came out of nowhere to gently elevate Danny's head. "What happened?"

"Sniper. That apartment building at roughly a 10 o'clock position. We need more backup." Steve's face was laced with a dark, quiet fear as he continued to press on the bad wound. "I think he was targeted and the bullet went clean through his vest. Where's yours?"

"Lunch. I changed .. before lunch." It was obvious that Chin didn't immediately absorb the implications of what Steve had just demanded. He stayed there on his knees looking first from Steve and then to the bloody mess on Danny's white dress shirt.

"Wait? What?" Chin whispered in disbelief as his brain registered more of Steve's words. "Right .. through?"

It was then that Steve's glassy eyes finally moved from Danny's distressed face. Only three minutes had elapsed since the first shot had rung out and it felt like an eternity as Steve lost his ability to think. They were on their way to hold a table for lunch; none of what was happening now was registering. Giving himself a mental shake, Steve forced himself to focus and assess the situation. Though it was unbuckled and draped on his body, Steve still had his own vest on; he'd had no chance to take it off either. He was intending to throw it in the trunk with Danny's before the shot rang out.

Trying to stem the blood from the wound, he wasn't willing to let go for the few precious seconds it would take to tighten it back up again. He continued to use his body and the car to shield his partner. But the flash of soft blue material caught once more in the periphery of his vision. As he had just tried to explain, Chin had already changed out of his gear to meet them at the diner. Though the powerful bullet had gone through Danny's vest, Chin was utterly and completely vulnerable.

"Vest. Chin. Get your vest on. Now."

"I just parked when I heard the commotion." With only his weapon drawn, Chin ran a hand over his face and shrugged lamely. He rocked on his knees, hesitant to leave Steve's side as if he also couldn't believe his eyes. "I saw people running .. I didn't think. But I'll be right back."

Under his hands, Danny was bleeding out and had started to tremble from shock. Steve's mouth flapped open soundlessly as he shook his head in bewilderment. But he didn't need to speak; he needed to create a plan. Still pressing against the wound, Steve shifted enough to visually tear through the heights until he saw the flash of metal. It was roughly ten o'clock of their position and slightly off from where Danny had been targeted. He ground out his words through clenched teeth as he tried to watch for another glinting shine.

"Go, get out of here .. go find a vest. Now." The sniper was on the move and going to try again. Tracking where he might go, Steve looked up at the building and then measured the angle.

"Chin! Down!" It was a fraction too late. Just as he found his voice to shout the warning, another shot cracked across the formerly peaceful afternoon street. There was a loud ping as it nicked the rear of the Camaro. But even slightly slowed, the force literally moved Chin off his feet and pushed him flat onto the ground. On a downward angle, it entered high above his right shoulder and then left through Chin's upper chest wall. Later they would learn that it had ricocheted off a man-hole cover to eventually rest in the passenger side door of a parked vehicle.

Just as even more sirens and screeching tires pulled into their vicinity from a mere block away, Steve helplessly watched as blood blossomed across Chin's upper back. A back that was fully exposed and unprotected.

Torn between triage for two of his team, pinned down and under attack on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Steve stared in horror up at the heights of the apartment building. The flash of metal had disappeared and the sniper could be taking up yet another position or even be on the run.

But whoever had begun this battle meant business and Steve knew it would only be the beginning.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

HPD SWAT Commander Clint Sanderson saved the injured men and retrieved Steve from his dangerous position. They remained there for almost eight additional minutes because, even with ample HPD support on scene, no one could risk movement without more appropriate backup. Potentially still under fire and pinned down, they were all forced to wait until the skilled SWAT team arrived.

They had no idea that the sniper was in fact long gone by then. The ranking SWAT leader purposefully drove the well-equipped van on an angle into the Camaro to provide protection so that four of his men could hastily bring them on board. And they were still at risk because even though the SWAT van was armored, there were absolutely no guarantees of safety based on the caliber of weapon and of the bullet being used.

Before the door to the large van was slammed home, Sanderson was rapidly backing the vehicle away from the area. Moments later, his team had taken over the scene and was well on their way towards the sniper's supposed location.

Trembling from adrenalin as he stood uselessly watching two separate EMT teams work on both Danny and Chin, Steve barely noticed Kono running up. Forced to stay back with the rest of the force, she was already frantic. And she could only stand by and watch as Sanderson used the van to rescue the injured men from where they'd been trapped. But she was ready to join the fray now. However, Steve wasn't going to allow it as he intercepted her.

"No. Stay here." Steve whispered brokenly as he grabbed at her elbow. He was vacillating badly between his emotions and professional training. And Kono, fueled by fear and anger, was already fully geared up and priming her weapon to join the SWAT team. And it woke Steve from his almost passive stupor as he took a more firm hold of her upper arm.

"I need to be in there!" The finality in the firm set to his jaw was not what she bargained for as he latched painfully onto her skin. Her dark eyes were shining as she tried to wrench herself free. "Steve, I'm going!"

"No. You will stay here. We're not ready for this. Go with Chin." Propelling her in the direction of the EMT's that were stabilizing her cousin, Steve was leaving both bruises and blood on her arm. Half his team was incapacitated and Steve refused to risk anyone else until they knew more.

"He's lost a lot of blood but they think he'll be okay. The bullet entered high and exited just below his clavicle."

Breathing hard from stress and fear, Kono only nodded as she reluctantly shouldered her weapon. Without needing to be asked, Steve stood swaying on his feet before stumbling over what he knew about Danny. His hands were covered in blood and Danny's vest was tucked under his arm.

"I'll be .. with him. The angle was ... different. And he's lost a lot of blood too." Stated with a flat anger, Steve's tone suddenly changed but his next words didn't make much sense. "Maybe .. I don't know."

And then the EMT's were leaving and Steve had to turn away. His last order was abrupt and almost curt. "Just ..Kono .. it's bad. Stay with Chin. "

And then he was gone and clambering into the back of the ambulance with Danny and Kono was soon sitting next to Chin.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **a chapter a day ... ;-)

**Chapter Four**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Admittedly, he was wiping nervous sweat from his face. But the farther away he jogged from the apartment building, the more he smiled. By the time he'd gotten over five blocks away by cutting down two narrow alley-ways, he'd come to a casual walk. A few minutes after that, his hands had stopped trembling and his smile had become a soft, sardonic chuckle.

Stopping in a small park, he found a food truck and ordered a lemonade. Smiling peacefully to himself, he wandered down the path to take a seat in the shade on a short brick wall. The park bordered a beach and he relaxed as he enjoyed the sparkling blue ocean and beach-goers.

"It's done." There had been a moment of doubt. But now, his voice remained soft and the tone was filled with a self-satisfied contentment. And so he sat there for hours. Sitting calmly in the shade, and only getting up for second drink from the same food vendor. By late afternoon, he had hailed a cab for the drive back to his dive motel. Two hours later, he was sitting alone eating dinner at the shack down the street and listening to the initial news reports about a downtown shooting that appeared to target the Governor's task force ... and possibly HPD as a whole.

His informant had been correct about the sting operation at the Italian restaurant. He'd also been correct on his hunch about Bailey's Diner. _"That damn diner is their favorite local hang-out next to Kamekona's Shrimp truck. It's a block away from the sting operation. Seems likely they could wind up there. The building across the street is empty .. under construction." _

It was odd, but he'd gone with it ... because after all, what harm could there possibly be in hanging out in the upper floors of the apartment building? He wasn't exactly in a rush. And With Williams' brat on Spring break of all things, the one reliable aspect of his target's schedule was completely void.

His luck so far had been short of astonishing. And he couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a good day.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

The two friends found each other again at the hospital and Kono quietly explained what was going on with Chin. Steve absorbed the good news as he blindly fingered the holes in Danny's blood stained vest. His own was laying discarded on the floor and practically under the chair he was sitting in.

The doctors with Kono had expressed relief that the velocity of the bullet that hit Chin had not only been slowed, but the trajectory was also significantly altered. For all intents and purposes, Chin had a clean shoulder wound and would be in a sling for a few weeks.

"He'll be staying a few days. But he'll be fine."

Meaning every word, Steve offered her a small, genuine smile. "Thank god for that. When can we see him?"

"Within the hour." And it did buoy their spirits to know that he would be okay. Staying quietly together until Chin came out of anesthesia, they eventually spent time between his small private room and the surgical trauma waiting area. But there was no word on Danny and both of them knew whatever news they heard now would simply be dire.

Steve only glanced up once when two uniformed HPD officers casually stationed themselves near the waiting room. So when their friend, Doctor Alphonse 'Ponch' Ramirez came out of the trauma area with a serious expression and slow step, Steve stayed sitting. His typical penchant for burying his hands deeply in his pockets had also been abandoned.

Dismally, Steve noticed that Ramirez wrung his hands once before letting them hang limply at his side. Rooted to his chair, he could only watch the kind doctor come closer. The large hand that settled on his knee was one of sympathy and Steve closed his eyes completely wishing he could turn a deaf ear.

"The bullet entered his lower chest cavity on an angle from his back; but it damaged sensitive tissues near the lower lumbar and very close to his spine. We called the best neurosurgeon in and he's repaired much of the damage. He also cared for a blood-filled haemotoma that was collecting and needed to be drained. But Steve, he's in critical condition and there are more concerns. Many more." Ramirez heaved a loud sigh and shook his head as Kono's eyes filled with tears.

"What." It was supposed to be a question, but Steve spoke in a flat, monotone. And then holding a blood stained hand up, changed his mind. "You know what .. just … don't. I know. I know what you're going to say." His eyes were still closed and he listened almost dispassionately as Kono began to cry and Ramirez continued anyway.

"It might be temporary. It's not conclusive and with the swelling we just don't know." Ramirez was quiet and doing his best to offer a soothing support.

"How much has he lost? What does this neurosurgeon _think_?" Unable to help the growing anger in his voice, Steve opened his eyes to glare at their friend. "Ponch .. I know it's a guess but what's the current verdict?"

"Doctor Hans Ober. He's the neurosurgeon. One of the very best." The reply was a soft murmur and Steve's vision grayed unexpectedly as Ramirez did his best to explain what was happening.

"Danny can breathe on his own which is very good news. Ober wasn't sure at first, but he's out of surgery and he's still able to breathe on his own. The swelling is significant from the trauma and the haemotoma could reoccur. The nerves in his lower back are being compressed by the pressure and even the initial MRI is negligible because of that swelling. More tests need to be run after a few days when the swelling has a chance to go down. But .. it may begin at waist-level, or it may be that only one leg is affected. There's also a slim chance that he will be fine."

The uncertain information only made Steve angrier and he stared nastily at Ramirez. None of it was good enough and none of it sounded in the least bit promising.

"Go home and get cleaned up." The doctor completely changed gears to pull Steve to his feet forcibly and then gathered Kono next to him. "You can't see him for at least a few more hours. Honestly, I'm not just being a difficult, old fool this time."

"I can't." Any anger melted away as the doctor warmly clasped his shoulder. Wide-eyed at the suggestion, Steve whispered with a helpless expression plastered across his face.

"I can't just go home .. take a shower .. and change. Is that what you want? And then what .. a bite to eat, as if nothing's happened?"

His voice had grown louder with each passing word and Kono's tears were falling in earnest now. "Stop." Ramirez grew almost angry as Steve began to walk towards the Surgical Intensive Care Unit.

"You _will_ stop. You _will_ go home. And you _will_ come back here later as I've said."

With a hand on each of their arms, Ramirez walked them out of the waiting area and pushed them in the direction of the exit. The two uniformed HPD officers lingered nearby as the argument continued in the hallway. Each looked simultaneously saddened and understanding as Steve's temper grew once more.

Ramirez studied Kono closely before addressing her directly. She was obviously very upset but he deemed her able to drive; Steve was an entirely different subject as he kept a strong grip on his partner's damaged vest.

"You are going to take him home. Danny needs both of you whole and well to pull through this. Four hours. I do not want to see either of you back here before then."

"Come on." Carrying Steve's vest, Kono wiped her eyes and continued to pull her boss and friend outside. And then she laughed brokenly until she began to cry again in an exhausted frustration.

"Our cars aren't here!" Before Steve could use it as an excuse to turn on his heel, a familiar voice called to them.

"Catch." Turning quickly towards the voice, Kono caught the keys that Sergeant Duke Lukela tossed her way. He pointed over his shoulder towards the Camaro that one of his HPD Officers had parked at the hospital curb.

"We had to leave your vehicle on a side street; not enough personnel .. but we brought Danny's over. And keep in mind that until we catch this lunatic, at least two officers will be assigned to each of you at all times."

Steve blinked in confusion before noticing that the two officers from the waiting room had trailed them to the parking lot.

"We could all be targets, but Five-0 is for certain." Duke explained softly. "We have the weapon but not the sniper. Commander Sanderson ordered the protection and called the Governor to confirm. We have our orders and wouldn't put up with anything less."

"Thanks, Duke." Steve whispered. He couldn't afford to shut down like this, yet he was and he actually already had without having the strength to acknowledge it. The SWAT Commander was correct and he blindly walked around Duke to willingly slouch in the passenger seat. Holding Danny's vest, he rested it across both of his knees.

The dried blood caused him to close his eyes and his head fell backwards as tremors ran through his body. He would at least take the time to get his act together and his brain back in the game.

"Chin's going to be okay." Kono forced the words out as she gave Duke a quick hug. "But they aren't sure about Danny yet. He may be paralyzed .. but they aren't sure."

Duke didn't move for a minute as he stared at the young woman. "Paralyzed?"

And then Kono could only nod as she walked away to hide a new spark of tears. "We'll be back in a few hours."

"We'll be here. And Kono - vest up. Both of you." It was then that Kono realized Duke and the three new officers that had shown up would be more than keeping vigil at TAMC. Even within the military setting, everyone was on edge and not taking chances. Before getting in the car, Kono popped the trunk and pulled out a spare Kevlar vest.

Opening the driver's side door, she shoved Steve's original vest back at him. But as she shrugged into hers, Kono wondered what good it might do. And she knew that Steve was thinking the same exact thing.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **well here it is! the bad guy is revealed. Some guessed, and some didn't. Also, the description of the escape is based on real life. Except there were 2 convicts and they dropped their handmade rope down 8-stories. Plus, they didn't leave Trenton when they could have .. they merely had some fun and I think were picked up partying in a bar. I researched guns/bullets - and then cobbled together what I hope is a believable and mostly valid description.

I am traveling this week on business, so posting may be more or less frequent depending upon my schedule.

My continued thanks to CinderH and to JazzieG for awesome help. **And my goodness - thank you for the fantastic, kind support!**

**Chapter Five**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

The official phone call they needed to hear came in as Sanderson, Duke Lukela, and Kono flooded the system with emails and official inquiries all related to Five-0's most recent casework. But the final answer took Kono off her feet at Steve's house as she dizzily sat down at the dining room table. Holding her head in shock, she at first couldn't speak at all as she listened to the warden at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton.

Using the four-hour block of time that Doctor Ramirez defined, a lot of work was being accomplished. And the astounding answer came while Steve was taking a shower.

_"He was transferred ten months ago to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago for his own safety. Less of the criminal population knew him there. And it seems cliché, but he got out in the middle of the night using bed sheets."_

Kono forced herself to listen as the man described what Rick Peterson had accomplished. Missing now a little over 72-hours, he was obviously already on Hawaiian soil using the same tactics as during his first illicit trip. The man was not hesitating in his one focused goal of killing Danny.

She listened to how he somehow broke a large hole into the bottom of a 6-inch wide window of the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The hole widened the space to an almost 18-inch gap once the glass to the window was removed. And then he had just enough space to squirm through, drop a makeshift rope made of bed sheets out and climb down about 5 stories to the ground. He hadn't been missed for almost 4 solid hours which gave him an incredible head-start that he easily took advantage of. Surveillance video at the intersection of a nearby street showed him hailing a cab shortly before 2 a.m. It was more than disturbing that he had secured a change of clothes from his orange jail-issued jumpsuit.

When the facility did discover that Peterson was gone; it was already after 7 a.m. They were still embarrassed and shocked to find a meticulously planned escape, including clothing and sheets shaped to resemble a body under blankets on the man's bed, bars inside a mattress and even fake bars in the cells.

After hanging up, Steve found her in the same position less than five minutes later after resentfully showering and changing into clean clothes. Notes were scribbled on a pad under her hand but her face was pale when she looked up.

"What happened?" Steve narrowed his eyes because it was obvious she'd already found something of major value. "What is it?"

"Rick Peterson." And the two flatly stated words stopped Steve in his tracks as if he'd quite literally hit a brick wall.

And his only reply was nearly shouted at her in an incredulous rage. At a complete loss, he found himself repeating his earlier words almost verbatim. "That is _**not**_ possible!"

Deathly quiet and still stunned, Kono nodded in agreement. "You're right. It shouldn't be .. but, it is."

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Steve's dining room was now an instant war room of sorts as he reacted to the startling information. Moments later, calls had been made to HPD and the Edwards. But as luck would have it, the Edwards were visiting Rachel's parents for Spring break in London. Steve ended the call by asking that Rachel extend her vacation indefinitely.

"I know you want to come back .. but this is the worst place you could possible be right now. Danny would want you and Grace to stay exactly where you are, Rachel."

"That's good news." Kono breathed out in relief after the call ended. Having one less important part of their tightly-knit Ohana to protect on the Islands took a great deal of added stress off their plates. And though she could assume that Rachel was now very upset, Kono knew that Danny's ex-wife would do what Steve recommended until she was told otherwise.

Steve nodded distractedly because he couldn't fathom what Kono had discovered. He also couldn't figure out why Chin had been shot. But wracking his brain about their positions on the street, he realized that Chin was merely collateral damage. In his fury for vengeance, Peterson had daringly taken a second shot hoping to finish Danny off.

"He thought he missed. So he tried again." Steve muttered to himself. The man was not a sharp shooter by any stretch of the imagination. So there was that, and the fact that he simply didn't care about life in general.

Sanderson had also found the high-powered rifle during their afternoon recon of the apartment building with an empty duffel bag. As they'd guessed, the sniper was long gone. Daringly abandoned in the apartment building, the high-powered military rifle was left resting butt-end down in a corner and with the safety clicked on as if seeking to taunt the police. There were no prints; no evidence of any kind. But they didn't actually need it now to move forward. The bullet that had gone through Chin, was found in a neighboring car and Fong confirmed its professional purpose and dense metallic make-up. But the HPD Forensic team had yet to find the bullet that had injured Danny.

According to Fong, the sniper had used rifle armor-piercing ammunition with a hardened penetrator. That internal piece was encapsulated in a copper jacket. Upon impact, the jacket disintegrated but the inner penetrator would continue its motion through the intended the target. Steve was very familiar with both the weapon and its official use. And though Fong had no answer, he patiently listened to Steve's tirade which also wasn't personally aimed at him. Pacing the room, he was yelling into the air as Kono continued to organize the growing volume of learnings.

"How the hell .. did he get his hands on these weapons?" And then he'd left the assault rifle in the high-rise to be found. Arrogant and over-confident, Peterson thought he had succeeded in the end and could simply walk away.

"But he missed." Steve slapped the table angrily as he looked at Kono's confused face. They had something they could use to lure the man and set a trap.

"Peterson missed and got Chin by mistake or by design. Regardless, once he finds out Danny is still alive, he's going to want to finish it and he won't care who gets in the way."

The wheels were turning viciously in Steve's head as he began to punch numbers into his cell phone. "Call Sanderson and get him up to speed on Rick Peterson. Get photos and descriptions out to everyone; issue a bulletin. But we're going to bring Peterson to us."

"Governor Denning." Steve stopped speaking to Kono as he reached the official's office. Within seconds, a gag order had been issued for any law enforcement official to protect the integrity of the ongoing police work. The Governor quickly agreed to Steve's requests to do the same with the media to ensure officials were not impeded in their investigations by any publicity about the case. Steve knew that Peterson was far from stupid, but his insane greed for revenge would drive him to make even more mistakes. And the biggest mistake of all would be his absolute need to know about Danny's condition. It would be their best and only opportunity to bring the crazed ex-cop down.

The orchestrated late night update that was leaked to the media contained three important pieces of information. The first was from the Governor's office stating the general concern that the sniper was targeting anyone in uniform, not just his task force. No chances were being taken until they learned more of the criminal's motives.

The two subsequent details were more personally related to the condition of the two injured Five-0 officers. Hospitalized, both were in stable condition and could even be released within a few short days. Lastly, that one officer's family had been duly notified while vacationing in Europe. In the parking lot of TAMC, Kono had been quoted as breezily saying that her colleague saw no need to call his family back from their trip visting relatives.

"_Oh he's fine. And they're due to return in just a few days anyway."_

But after that short statement, she had barely made it into the SICU restroom where she burst into tears at the blatant lie. For Steve's plan to work though, Peterson needed to be antagonized and goaded into action. He needed to build on doubt and greed. Their demeanor, attitude and anything they said would be on display. Steve made it clear that anyone not appearing to be at ease and normal would be immediately replaced on the closed detail assigned to guard both Danny and Chin.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

And _antagonized_ was a complete understatement. Rick Peterson sat in that dingy rundown hotel room on the opposite side of the island watching the late night evening news. In the background, a police scanner hummed continually.

He had paid through the nose to have the documents, guns and special bullets required for his personal mission. He was destitute now but it was very true that money could buy anything. Peterson's mother had passed away and had left him a rather nice sum of cash. And then, with his few remaining _friends_ that straddled the law they were supposedly sworn to protect, more connections were established as deals were forged. It had taken significant time to organize and much patience. It had used up all of those final cash reserves. But eventually, day by day and month after month his plans had come to fruition and it had finally paid off.

The assualt weapons and specialized bullets had been the singular most expensive purchase; they had taken the longest to coordinate with overseas traffickers. He had two special bullets left now which he tossed absent-mindedly in his hand. He had left the one rifle plus the duffel bag used to carry it at the high-rise, but its powerful twin was in the corner of the motel room. A neat little pistol was in a shoulder harness under his jacket.

And Peterson had actually smiled when he opened his motel room door because everything he had asked for had been assembled perfectly. Through other favors and the last dregs of his money, he was also able to manipulate enough to track down Five-0's short term habits; but learning of the restaurant sting was the icing on the cake.

However, his joyous mood had changed that evening and his eyes narrowed angrily as he listened to first one reporter and then to a second on a different channel. While he was not necessarily stupid, he couldn't wrap his brain around what they were saying about the downtown shooting. The names of the two Five-0 officers had not been released but both were in stable condition. And the reporters essentially gave the same update with only subtle differences that would appeal to ratings. But Peterson retained one clear message point: Five-0 Detective Danny Williams had survived and wasn't even grievously wounded.

"Stable? Soon to be released?" And then he practically fell to his knees in front of the television screen when Officer Kono Kalakaua was interviewed. Peterson was enthralled as he studied her face intently; every squint of her eye and tilt of her mouth. Every move she made was imprinted into his brain and it only made him angrier. The young woman seemed genuinely relieved and he wasn't sure what to think of the latest updated reports.

"_Oh he's fine. And they're due back in just a few days anyway."_

The few words about the Detective's daughter and ex-wife were powerful as he chewed on their potential meaning. He had no doubt about whom Officer Kalakaua was speaking about. And Williams was incredibly close to his little girl. If they were not rushing back from a vacation then it could all be very true. And he'd missed his mark - twice. He grew so angry that he never heard Officer Kalakaua promise that the sniper would be brought to justice.

"I killed you. I know I shot you, D." Through the powerful scope of his rifle, he had seen Danny stumble and had seen his partner catch him; but after that he had lost visual as Steve dragged Danny to the far side of the vehicle. Running through the empty construction area of the high-rise apartment building, Peterson had achieved a different vantage point but couldn't see through Chin Ho Kelly's body or past the rear bumper of the Camaro. So in the end, he decided to simply shoot through Kelly.

He could only see that Danny was laying flat with the two men leaning protectively over his downed body. But much of his view had been completely blocked and he had doubted himself. So taking one last chance to completely finish Danny off, he had tried to align the shot through the second officer's unprotected back. But sweating, out of breath and maybe just slightly flustered, the crazy idea hadn't actually worked. Rick Peterson had slipped up and _missed_.

"You can't be fine. You're dead. Through and through, dead!" Peterson growled as the report switched to the weather and tidal reports.

He had no idea how he would do it, but he was almost shouting at the TV when he punched his fist through the thin sheet rock wall.

"And D, if you _are_ alive .. then it won't be for much longer!"

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **I have to get up at 5 AM tomorrow (Tuesday) for my first trip and will not have the opportunity to post. Do you mind Chapter 6 now? For some of you, this is Tuesday so you are happy! I will post again sometime on Wednesday when I leave for or get to Baltimore (yet again). And I'm way behind on emails .. I will try and catch up!

**Chapter Six**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Steve returned to the hospital after completing his calls and making sure that Kono had adequately pulled off her dramatic television debut. He couldn't fault her an ounce of her natural appeal with the media and supposed genuine relief that both her colleagues were 100 percent fine and whole. She had ended the broadcast with a sober tone though; a tone that promised the shooter would be brought to justice and that no other officers would be targeted. Playing almost dumb that all of HPD were assumed targets, Kono had done a fine job and Steve intercepted her as she came out of the ladies room near the SICU. Her tears only began again in earnest as soon as she saw him.

And he knew how hard it had been. Dividing up to stagger their trips and planned return to office work as if their friends were fine was going to be more than difficult. The casual gait that Steve had adopted and friendly smiles to various people had torn him apart on the inside.

"You were fantastic." He whispered into her hair. "It will have made quite the impression, Kono."

And it had of course since Peterson was seething in his dilapidated motel room on the other side of the Island. He was desperate to come up with another plan to ensure that Danny didn't see the light of day ever again. In addition and by selecting Kono as available to speak for the Five-0 team, a junior member at that, it had also downplayed his status.

The Governor would handle the appropriate governance and key media relations communications all in the name of protecting the integrity of the case until the sniper was brought to justice. It was all an important part of the setup and they were not going to rest until they did exactly that.

"Have you seen Chin or Danny yet?" Without looking up, Kono wiped her eyes before releasing her tight hug.

"Chin is doing really well and he's sleeping." Her voice cracked briefly as she pointed to the intensive care unit. "But I needed a minute." The two turned together and slowly went through the SICU main doors. They were now absolutely aware of the HPD officers shadowing their backs as well as the one stationed outside Danny's small room. Regardless of Peterson's vendetta, Steve knew that one or two more would undoubtedly be near Chin.

It was the first time they had been permitted in the room and Steve didn't hesitate in striding over to the bed to take Danny's hand. Unconscious and his face obscured by an oxygen mask, there were a multitude of wires, leads and intravenous lines swarming over his body. Danny was anything but what Kono, Steve and the Governor had led the media to believe.

"My god." He whispered as his second hand pushed damp hair from Danny's forehead. He was shocked and outraged by the terrible events of the day; but to learn it was all orchestrated by the man who had kidnapped Grace and then terrorized Danny into shooting Stan Edwards. That was mind-boggling and Steve would not allow Danny or his family to suffer ever again.

"We're doing this job right, Danny." His grave whisper continued as Kono walked over to the opposite side of the bed. "I promise. We will get him and put an end to this once and for all."

"Hi Danny." Her voice broke as she smoothed the back of her hand over his pale cheek. Taking his other hand, she sat quietly in the chair next to his bed. "We can't stay long."

It was part apology and part statement of fact. Without looking at her, Steve nodded as he silently agreed. Denning was supportive but not pleased about their problematic involvement with this particular case. For one, his task force was the prime target. And secondly, it was a significant and very singular conflict of interest. But Steve intended to move ahead regardless and deal with any such allegations later.

They had a job to do and Danny would want them to take care of it. He thought back to the day Rick Peterson had first shown up on the Island. He had killed Danny's friend, abducted his daughter and then tried to deconstruct Danny down to being less than nothing. And he had failed.

Steve vowed that he was personally going to make sure that he failed again. Permanently.

"You're strong and don't deserve this. We have to go … but we'll be back. You're safe here." Steve leaned down and frowned as Danny's eyes moved sluggishly behind closed lids.

"Hey?" Steve's whisper remained soft and questioning as Danny's lips moved soundlessly under the oxygen mask. He waited until Danny's eyes were barely opened and trying to focus on his own very surprised face before believing that his friend was truly awake.

"Don't try to talk. You're going to be fine." He wasn't supposed to be awake yet and even so, his fingers were slowly closing around Steve's hand. Ramirez had distinctly said that he'd be unconscious much longer based upon the intense surgery and erratic vital signs. So Steve put as much conviction as he could into the words as Danny now tried to look up at him. "You are definitely going to be okay."

Shocked herself, Kono had already rung the nurse's station and Doctor Ramirez joined them within seconds.

"He's awake." Wide-eyed, Steve blurted the news as the doctor rocked to a halt at the foot of the bed.

"Well, now. This is quite unexpected but it's very nice to see you." Ramirez remarked with a genuinely pleased smile. Moving Steve aside, the doctor traded places to take up Danny's hand.

"You're going to think this is silly I'm sure; but squeeze my hand if you understand me, Danny." The weak pressure affirmed the answer and Ramirez smiled wider. "Good. Excellent."

Following a very basic pattern, the doctor asked just a few a questions before smoothing blankets over his patient and encouraging him to go back to sleep. But oddly, his struggling patient seemed to disagree.

Ramirez was correct that Danny had first thought the process strange and almost ridiculous. But he'd willingly gone along with the simple requests because it was all he had the energy to do. So his answers communicated by hand confirmed that he knew who and where he was; he also remembered the shooting. It was the first time ever that he had no compulsion to speak though as he limply lay in the hospital bed. For some reason, breathing was difficult and his body felt heavy and unresponsive with dull aches echoing through his chest and back.

Danny could barely keep his eyes open but he forced himself to lock onto Steve's face; and he didn't like what he thought he could see. It was foreboding enough to fuel his fading energy and his silent refusal made Ramirez distinctly unhappy as Danny's eyes stayed stubbornly open.

The doctor bounced on his toes in frustration before shoving his hands deeply into his pockets where they remained for less than five seconds. "Talk to him." Ramirez made the demand as he stepped out of the way and pushed Steve closer. "Carefully."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Steve once again took Danny's hand. He could guess that his face was an open book regardless of how ill his partner might be. "We need to find who did this. I promise that we have backup and will be careful."

He felt the weak pressure and fine trembles as Danny tried to squeeze his fingers. It was all taking too much out of him and yet, Danny was worried for all of them and Steve tried to soothe him with a gentle smile.

"Your job is to rest. That's all any of us want you to do. I promise we will be careful and I promise that one of us will be back to see you in just a few hours."

The nod was almost nonexistent but Steve saw it the same time Danny released his fingers and gave in to his body's demands to rest. And as his eyes closed, Steve leaned closer and whispered more reassuring words.

"Trust me, Danno. Trust me to take care of it the right way."

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Chapter Seven**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

At first comforting, Danny dreamed of a playground where he heard children laughing happily in the background. The sun was shining brightly and birds were singing. And yet, each time he turned around the swings were empty and the place was completely deserted. A feeling of contentment became a rising dread when the laughter continued and eventually became eerily ghost-like, then mocking and he began to shake in fear.

"Danny. It's a dream. You're just having a bad dream." Someone was talking to him and rubbing his arm soothingly. He wasn't entirely sure that he knew the voice but he was still in a half-sleeping state. "Wake up for me."

His breath was ragged and much too fast. On the verge of hyperventilating, he couldn't get it under control regardless of the demands. "Breathe slowly. Open your eyes. Come on .. you can do it."

He tried to listen to the voice and then continually came up empty at putting a name to _her_. And it was a woman who was speaking to him and encouraging him to breathe more slowly into the oxygen mask. He valiantly tried since his anxiety was causing an overwhelming tightness in his chest and an odd painful heaviness in his back. Plus something else seemed terribly wrong about his body but again, Danny simply could not put his finger on it. The woman was speaking more urgently now but the voices and laughter drowned out her words. Her concern grew as she pleaded with him to open his eyes and quiet his frenetic wheezing.

"Breathe slowly. In and out, Danny. You have to calm down." A cold sweat beaded on his forehead as his fingers clenched painfully in her warm hand. He couldn't completely wake up and he couldn't find a way to make the laughter stop.

"Oh thank god. How did you know?" Her sudden whisper held a volume of relief. "Hold on Danny .. you'll be okay." But he didn't attempt to figure that odd comment out as the noises of the children increased to haunt him and he began to tremble. Seconds later, a deeper voice resonated nearby and then a larger, stronger hand took the woman's place.

"It's very late and I came back for a quick visit. We have something to do; but everyone's still fine." It was Steve and Danny latched onto his gloved fingers desperately as the children's voices echoed frighteningly in his head. His breathing increased though and he felt Steve rubbing circles on his upper arm.

"Ellen said that you're having a dream and can't seem to calm down. You're going to hurt yourself if you don't or Ponch will need to give you a sedative. So concentrate ... concentrate on controlling your breathing. It's just a bad dream."

Danny swallowed hard as he finally forced his rapid breaths to even out. Steve kept up the soft encouraging words until the harsh, erratic sounds eased and finally completely went away.

"Better. That's good." It was then he could hear the crazily beeping heart monitor above his head. Slowly, that rapid cadence came down too and sounded more normal even to his weary brain.

"Steve." Under the mask, the one word was unmistakable and his partner smiled.

"Who else would it be, Danno? Don't try to talk but at least open your eyes. And just keep thinking about your breathing .. nice and easy. It's late; well past midnight and the lights are low." Honest and calm, Steve could be scarily soothing at the most serious of times. His tone gave Danny the ability to find the strength to open his eyes as his staccato pants became more normal breaths. He was relieved to find that much of the deep and almost painful pressure also lessened as he put less strain on his lungs and wounded chest.

Steve was sitting next to his hip and gripping his hand with a consoling pressure. His eyes were nearly unreadable, but an anger lurked dangerously just under the surface. It was almost the same face that had so worried Danny earlier. And now he was fully geared up; completely dressed to the teeth and Danny was confused. Steve smiled gently when he saw the questioning expression.

He and Kono were finalizing plans with HPD SWAT's Clint Sanderson for a very early morning clandestine visit to the rundown motel where Peterson was supposedly holed up. And before joining them at the rendezvous point, Steve had felt compelled to stop by the hospital. Hearing Ellen's very worried voice as he strode down the hallway, Steve was glad that he'd taken the extra few minutes.

"Things are going well. But I want to see you right now. When we find this guy, then I will be able to tell you something."

Danny made a face at the too brief explanation and the creases in his forehead had Steve immediately warning him against trying to speak. But Steve was eerily still. It was a hushed state of being before a potentially formidable storm and it completely displaced his terrible dream. Something serious was about to happen and Steve was protecting him; Danny didn't exactly approve of or feel he needed the tactic.

"Who?" Danny's voice was barely audible and Steve aimed a gloved finger at his face before shaking his head.

"Later. I'm not going to bore you with 'maybe' this or 'maybe' that. When we have more and we're absolutely certain, then I will tell you what you need to know." If he could have rolled his eyes more dramatically, Danny certainly would have. But the results of the half-attempt wound up with Danny keeping his eyes permanently shut as he winced in pain.

Steve lost his smile as he fixed the oxygen mask more comfortably; he then watched Nurse Ellen Ramirez check his partner's vital signs and adjust his pain medication. The dream had been obviously very disturbing and Danny was still pale and taking shallow, hesitant breaths. And he was exhausted by what had just happened as he blinked furiously to stay awake after the sharp aches began to abate.

"Go back to sleep. It's late." Tapping his watch, Steve aimed a friendly glare at his friend. In critical condition, it was good enough that Danny was able to waken for short periods of time. It was more than good that his waking state was coherent and Steve would not ruin that by uttering the one name that would undo the tiny strides Danny was making. And as luck would have it, by the time he looked back again, Danny was already sleeping.

"So?" Steve asked Ellen as she made a notation in the chart.

"His vitals are still inconsistent. And his oxygen saturation is not nearly close to optimal." Her relief was evident as she found another blanket for Danny's stressed body. "I can't believe you just showed up like this .. we need to keep him as calm as possible. I couldn't reach any doctor for permission to give him a sedative ... there was a multi-car accident .. they're all in trauma handling various injuries."

Very much unlike her usual confident self, Ellen was almost frazzled and very apologetic. She had come in for rounds, only to find Danny restless and mumbling in agitation. But she'd been unable to calm or wake him successfully. Looking at Steve in absolute wonder where he sat on the edge of the bed completely geared up for a mission, she almost had to repeat herself. She had no idea how he'd just appeared in the doorway at the right time. Instead, she kept it short and voiced her concerns.

"I was afraid we'd have to put him on the vent. And Doctor Ober has stressed that putting him on it could cause more harm than good. If he becomes reliant on the machine, he will have a harder time regaining his ability to breathe. And then the risk for pneumonia is so much greater." Ellen hesitated before looking directly at Steve and making a small motion towards his legs.

"He's going to realize it on his own eventually." The nurse was almost mouthing the words. "He's not strong enough yet physically or mentally, Steve."

"I know." Steve sighed and closed his eyes. It could be a matter of hours or days for Danny to realize that he might be paralyzed. Knowing his partner, Steve was banking on hours and then they would need to figure out how to _manage_ him. But telling him about that now, Grace's temporary forced asylum, or of Rick Peterson wasn't yet an option .. so they'd have to take their chances as Danny slept on and bought them all more time against sharing the inevitable news. Maybe, just _maybe_, Doctor Ober would be able share something so much better than what they had that day.

"Yeah, I know." He whispered it again as he rubbed his face and then opened his eyes. "We'll deal with it when we have to. But right now, I need to go."

With a grim smile for Ellen's benefit, he left the hospital for the rendezvous; he and Kono would be back after they had Peterson. Steve had no doubts that they'd be able to end the dangerous affair especially with Sanderson's assistance. But there was just too much to contend with and Steve had compartmentalized it all for it to work for him.

In one compartment, sat Chin Ho Kelly. Recovering in a private room on another floor in the hospital, he would eventually be fine. Another compartment held Kono Kalakaua who was coping .. barely, with the violence and sheer hatred of the crime.

A third, held his partner with the multitude of known and unknown challenges that could completely alter life as he knew it; and a fourth included a little girl named Grace.

But the smallest and least flexible compartment was reserved for Rick Peterson. Steve had the only combination to that steel trap and there was no way the man would ever see the light of day once Steve got through with him.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **I say it all the time - but thank you all for the great comments. And to the guests that I can't reply to - thanks!

**Chapter Eight**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

And as Steve predicted, Danny did notice that something more was wrong; and it happened at the worst possible time. It was now very late at night, nearing morning really. Doctor Ober was at least in the room; but it was the first official meetings between the two men and Danny wasn't open to listening.

"No." Danny coughed out stressfully as he tried to fight past the man's hands. He had faintly felt it before - or to be more precise, **_not_** felt something he should have - but he was much too ill to understand. However, waking now from another dream, he had tried to gently shift in bed. The immediate pain in his chest made him groan but something else was wrong. And he had finally been aware enough to notice. He had stilled and his eyes had widened in surprise and then it had become an all-consuming fear.

Ellen Ramirez and two other intensive care nurses came first as his heart monitor nearly shattered a new record. And then very quickly, Doctor Ober had anxiously strode into the room. But now and with shaking fingers wrapped around Ober's wrists, Danny tried to fight the man as he patiently offered a brief explanation about needing more tests.

"No. My .. legs?" Danny moaned through the oxygen mask as tears sprang behind his eyes. He heard every other word as Ober tried to get his attention and focus. In the end, Ober wound up calling Ramirez but it was too late by then and the two concerned doctors agreed that sedation was called for as Danny escalated to an all-out panic attack.

"I can't be." Danny panted out painfully. His face screwed tightly against the pain and exertion, he vainly tried to sit up and then move his legs. Pulling badly on the stitches both in his back and on his chest, he groaned at the sharp stabbing aches and batted their hands away. But he was much too weak and becoming more worked up as both doctors attempted to calm the natural, fearful reaction.

"You're all .. wrong. It's .. a mistake."

"Calm down." Ramirez demanded as he sat on the edge of the bed and placed a restraining hand on Danny's shoulder. "Listen to what we're saying. It's early and much of what you're experiencing is due to excessive swelling. But Danny, you will hurt yourself if you keep this up."

His patient was beyond listening though. With his heart-rate rising dangerously and blood pressure following suit, Ramirez had no choice as Ellen held Danny's arms to the mattress. Standing quickly, he dispensed a strong sedative into the primary I.V. line.

"He's bleeding." Ellen pointed out as a red stain oozed from the bandages across the delicate chest wound. "Likely his back too."

"I see that." Ramirez complained angrily as he waited for Danny to completely go under the effects of the sedation. "Monitor his respiration closely .. I'm not pleased with how his oxygen levels are falling. If he can't recover within the hour, we will have to put him on the ventilator. We won't have a choice."

Ober folded his arms anxiously as he simultaneously watched his patient and then studied the disappointing readings emanating from the various machines. "He's tenacious at least."

Ponch smiled tiredly as they both leaned over Danny to gently probe the level of damage he'd done to the surgical site. "_**That** _is an understatement. This would be a hard pill to swallow for anyone. I need to call his team .. they're family and will need to be here when he wakens. If we have any opportunity to keep him off the vent, they will be critical in keeping him quiet."

Ellen had removed the bandages from the chest wound and was gently examining the area. "He's popped at least two and then stretched a few of the other stitches. You may want to look at this before we can do a simple redressing. I'll need help to see his back."

The neurosurgeon nodded as he asked Ellen to get the appropriate equipment and new bandages for him to assist in checking the damage Danny had accidentally done. But then he readily agreed with Ponch.

"You know that I'd like to keep him off that machine just as much as you would. We can do another MRI in a couple of days to monitor the inflammation. He does have a chance to recover completely .. slim as it may be. But even I can't tell until the MRI's are done. The ventilator will only complicate other issues though."

Doctor Ramirez stayed in the room as wounds were re-dressed, and then as Danny's vital signs finally seemed to level out. After Ober left, Ramirez began to stalk from the room. His statement was meant only for Ellen's ears and she managed a soft smile. "I'm calling him."

"I thought you would." Without looking up, Ellen checked her watch. "It's .. very early .. not even dawn. Steve mentioned some sort of stake-out or lead they would be following up on related to the sniper. You may not get him."

The disgusted snort from her husband completely negated Ellen's warning. Because if there was one call that Steve would take at any time of day or night, it would be from Ponch Ramirez's personal line.

"Trust me. I'll get him."

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: ** Celebratory 2nd chapter posting since H50 is renewed for Season 4!

**Chapter Nine**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Working forward from the time Rick Peterson escaped from prison and with the assistance of mainland agents, a timeline of sorts was cobbled together. In Chicago, Peterson had taken a taxi to Union Station where cameras recorded him carrying a duffel bag into a men's room. It was safe to assume that he'd used the station's storage lockers for a change of clothes and other pertinent documents. Someone had helped him and those on the mainland were now actively trying to identify his cohort or cohorts. Authorities in Chicago lost sight for a while after he left Union Station by taxi. He wasn't seen at the larger airports but eventually they found he'd left Illinois for Wisconsin. It was a 65 mile trip by car for a flight out of General Mitchell International airport to L.A., where he boarded his last flight to Hawaii.

As the information came over to Sanderson, Kono and Steve, it was obvious that the plans had been in the works for some time. Those plans had likely been put into motion as soon as Peterson was returned to New Jersey. It was alarming that Peterson had deep connections, had more money than anyone might think, and a great deal of illicit help.

He made it to the Island only the day before he had tried to kill Danny; which was also problematic as they had to assume the rifle and deadly bullets were also waiting for him to use. It was likely that he had a larger weapons stash hidden somewhere, plus any variety of additional resources. They still had no idea how he'd discovered the information about the clandestine sting operation at the restaurant.

And knowing that he had been seen in a shabby local diner was simply traced to blind, dumb luck. Kono got a hit on Peterson's photo by quite literally walking around the taxi stand at the airport. A cabbie remembered him and had taken him first to the motel and shown him the small dingy diner.

"_He was starving and on edge. Besides the shady address I dropped him off at ... it was his attitude, and I would never forget a face like his anyway."_

Kono agreed since Peterson had a unique, pale and almost skeletal look about him. Probably more so now after being locked up for nearly a year. He was just as easily forgotten as remembered.

"_He didn't act like a tourist_." And she nodded again as she took down the diner's address and the name of the motel. On top of it, Peterson was a lousy tipper. He'd made a very negative impression in an odd way and with the least likely of people.

It was this very specific lead that Steve, Kono and the HPD SWAT team had actively investigated into the late night hours. The owner of the rundown shack-like diner nervously confirmed serving someone matching Peterson's description. He lived above his tiny establishment and was still awake when Steve and Kono came knocking after hours. He was elderly and wasn't looking for trouble, so it didn't take much prodding for him to point up the street towards the old motel.

"Motel then?" Kono asked. But Steve was already shaking his head about an immediate visit to Peterson's lair. Motioning to the car, he drove back to the Five-0 offices and scarcely an hour later, Steve had contacted Sanderson directly. With his help, arrangements were made for a cohesive very early morning take-down.

And then Steve visited Danny before the scheduled time of the rendezvous with Sanderson and his very qualified SWAT team.

The plans Five-0 and SWAT had made together would not allow for any mistakes to be made.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

The rendezvous took place at 4 A.M. in a deserted warehouse parking lot two blocks from the motel. There, Sanderson and Steve reviewed the simple L-shaped building plans with the entire team. Using what they hoped would be an element of surprise, it would be straight-forward in terms of how they would surround the old establishment and bring Peterson down.

But Steve's cell phone rang as they were parking closer to the motel. Sanderson with his SWAT team, parked half a block away on a side-street to take up secondary posts in the darkness behind the building. It was approaching dawn now but the first glimmer of light was still a good couple of hours away and he wouldn't have answered the call if the brightly illuminated number had not been Doctor _Ponch_ Ramirez's personal line.

Immediately concerned, he quickly answered the call in a harsh whisper. "Doc? What's wrong?"

Kono froze with her hand on the handle to the door. "What?" He never answered her though as he listened intently to whatever the doctor was saying. She unexpectedly began to shake as Steve's face took on a devastated expression. He ended the call with a simple promise. 'Yes. Absolutely we'll be back by then.'

"He knows." Closing his eyes, Steve rested his forehead on the steering wheel. In the darkness, Kono couldn't see his face clearly but he was obviously upset. "Danny knows. He had a panic attack, tore his stitches and they were forced to sedate him."

"I'm sorry." Not knowing what to say, Kono apologized because it happened without either of them being there for Danny. It was the one thing that Steve had feared the most and it had happened. "Is he .. okay?"

"No." Steve still had his head rocked onto the steering wheel. "No, he's not. Everything is a risk in his condition. The sedative is a risk but the ventilator is going to be worse if they have to go that route. Ponch says he'll be out of it for the next few hours and he's monitoring his oxygen levels. He wants at least one of us back before he wakes again."

Through their ear-buds, they each heard Sanderson confirm his team's location on each side of the long, rambling old motel. Kono watched in amazement as Steve snapped to attention and his face lost all emotion.

"Ready." He stated succinctly into his own device. "In place." There were few cars in the lot and Steve had parked well off to the side in deep shadows. A dark shape casually came up to Kono's side and rapped softly on the window. Sanderson gave her a thumbs up sign as he waited for them to exit the vehicle.

Wordlessly, the three moved together to stand silently at the far back corner of the building. The motel had the standard row of doors that opened to the main parking lot. But the rear of each room offered what was now dilapidated and badly deteriorated concrete slabs that had once been cute small patios. The rest of Sanderson's team lurked in the darker heavily treed shadows to cover that back area.

Gazing at the long line of doors, Steve tried to see if any rooms had lights on behind drawn curtains. But as he studied one in the middle, the door opened and Rick Peterson strode out to stretch rudely in the moonlight. A cigarette glowed in the corner of his mouth.

"Incredible." Steve muttered as he pointed to the man. "It's him." The softly pleased sound from Sanderson almost made him smile as they waited for Peterson to do something.

Instead he just stood there in the dark smoking and watching the occasional car drive by on the main road. He was wearing a pale blue jacket and the door to his room remained partially open. But he also appeared to be irritated as he fidgeted and mumbled something to himself. They could barely see his face but his posture was taut and his lips held a severe, thin line. The man was most certainly not happy as he raggedly puffed through the cigarette, tossed the smoldering red stub and then quickly lit a new one.

"Shall we?" Steve whispered. This was the optimal situation. Something Steve had not dared to hope could happen. Rather than fleeing the islands after his _job_ was done, doubt had made the vengeful man stay. Instead of drawing Peterson to them, now the only plan was to take him head-on and Sanderson quickly relayed commands to his team. Moving rapidly, the three burst from the shadows with guns aimed directly at the man's head.

He was surprised but tried to hide it as he ground the second cigarette out under his heel. "This is .. unexpected."

"Please. Please give me a reason." Steve taunted the nervously smiling man. "Any will do. And it doesn't even have to be much. Put your hands on your head and get on your knees."

With a sardonic laugh, Peterson shrugged as he slowly moved to lace his fingers together with intent to place them on top of his head. His knees sagged slightly as if to drop down in compliance.

"So it **_was_** contrived." Seeing the expressions on the faces of Williams' friends up close, Peterson began to laugh harder. His earlier morose attitude was replaced by a sense of pleasure. As he sensed the change, Sanderson took the off-side to place Peterson directly in the center of their small triad.

Sanderson's face clouded angrily as he listened to the ex-cop and examined the lifeless eyes. "Do what the man says." He warned as Peterson barely made an attempt to lace his fingers. Ignoring the SWAT Commander, Peterson could see the some of the truth that was only partially hidden in Steve's posture and he grinned more when he glanced warily at Kono. Behind her eyes lurked a deep, chronic sadness and he huffed out a pleased sound before taunting them.

"I didn't miss. Well done though with the press releases .. and that mockery of an interview. I am impressed." He was sneering now and fidgeting from foot to foot as the night wind kicked up.

Steve was taut with anger as he measured every move Peterson made. "You got what you deserved .. and you will again."

"I see D found himself some friends on this rock. That's too bad. I guess you'll miss him at some point. But you'll move on .. people do." Throwing his head back, Peterson let loose with another loudly barked out laugh. While it was obvious he was nervous about being discovered at the motel, he was sarcastic and hateful as he goaded the three officers.

"Yeah, D's such a great guy. Isn't he? Until he stabs you in the back and takes your life away. A great guy .. such a great friend." It was then that Steve's anger almost got the better of him as Peterson tried to change the playing field. He was skittish, but his glee at actually unraveling Danny's own life was evident and he took added pleasure in seeing his friends up close.

"The best actually." Steve whispered the words dangerously while re-sighting his weapon at the man's head. He didn't believe that Peterson could possibly have ever been a decent human-being. In front of the motel, Steve now personally experienced every valid reason for Danny's actions the day Peterson first killed Danny's friend on the plane and then kidnapped Grace.

But on that terrible day, Steve saw himself in a Danny Williams that he had barely recognized. Sure he knew that Danny would do anything to keep Grace safe. But Danny had truly shaken Steve to his very core after he'd watched him shoot Stan down. On the heels of that, he'd shot a cuffed Rick Peterson without hesitation. Danny had been under duress, but also had remained in control and coldly resolute. He had been completely able to do anything for one justified cause and without consideration for his own safety. And confronting the antagonist now, Steve was not interested in having a conversation; only bringing him in .. or killing him. Whichever fate dictated and Steve's trigger finger itched badly for the latter.

If Peterson noticed the rising temper, he chose to ignore it. Looking Steve arrogantly in the eye, his last words were sneered out as a challenge, but he was sweating and had gone pale. "How long does he have? Or, better yet ... has he died already?"

He was completely oblivious to Kono as she once more demanded him to drop to his knees. Re-holstering her weapon, she had pulled out her cuffs but wouldn't approach until he was completely submissive.

And he was ignoring her because as soon as he finished speaking, Peterson changed course rapidly to pull a gun of his own from the inside holster strapped underneath his billowing jacket. Kono was closest and he aimed directly at her chest to squeeze off one shot. But Steve and Sanderson were faster.

Two shots rang out followed by rapid-fire third. The first two shots found their mark and Peterson flew backwards into the motel room. His back hit the partly opened door and it banged sharply into the interior wall.

"Kono?" Steve barked as he ran to the fallen man knowing that he'd find him dead. Automatically diving to the right to avoid the gun, she was dusting herself off from the gravel and dirt in the parking lot

"Clear. I'm fine. I'm good." Kono's voice held a slight quaver though as she checked the hole in her sleeve. Her finger went completely through it but her skin was unmarked. Eyes wide and still in a fury, Steve was next to her in an instant making sure of that fact.

"He missed. I'm fine." She had to repeat herself as he almost too roughly rotated her bicep to be sure. "Steve .. really .. he missed."

In the background, SWAT Communications chatter was hectic as the team reconvened in the front of the motel. Lights from other rooms came on or in some cases, not at all but sounds of running feet could be heard across the rear patio.

"Peterson's dead." Steve told her unnecessarily and then only watched a half-naked man run out of the last room. His arms were full of what appeared to be his clothing.

Kono watched the same man hurriedly stumble bare-foot down the rough road. "Hey. I think we know that guy."

A millisecond later, a prostitute stood in the same room's doorway wrapped in an old sheet. She was lit only by the flickering television that was on behind her. She stared at all of them in surprise and then slammed the door shut. They distinctly heard the door's safety locks clicking into place.

"I think we know her too." But like Kono, Steve wasn't entirely in the mood as he angrily flicked her ruined blouse between two fingers.

"Not tonight we don't."

Later, they would find the event to be nearly anti-climactic. But the relief that they'd all worked so efficiently to track down and find Peterson already meant so much more.

**_~ to be continued ~_**


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes**: off to the expo - have a great day everyone. thank you for the reviews. I will try and catch up personally over the weekend.

**Chapter Ten**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

It took less than thirty minutes for them to hand the rest of the investigation off to HPD and to Max, their intrepid medical examiner. There was an unspoken imperative that proper procedure be followed and documented; Sanderson was insistent that his team would handle each and every detail of the mission with kid gloves. With everything now under control and the threat eliminated, travel back to the hospital broke every regulation in the police manual as Steve used sirens and lights to return.

And they made it with only minutes to spare. Steve was perched on the bed when Danny first started to toss his head and murmur unintelligible frantic words under the oxygen mask.

"We got him. I'm sorry we weren't here earlier .. but we got him." Rough with emotion he could no longer bury, Steve desperately tried to calm Danny before he even woke fully. And it seemed to work as his restless activity quieted.

"Take it easy." Steve coached softly as he already recognized the stress crossing Danny's face. "No repeats of the last time. You can't afford to get so worked up."

As he woke, Danny heard Steve's voice first and then felt the strong gloved hand covering his own. But he remembered too that he was paralyzed and the stirrings of panic came back strong as the heart monitor started to climb again. He was unable to stop the first erratic inhale that pulled painfully on his back and chest.

However, he didn't expect the angry growl as Steve leaned in closer and it forced him to open his eyes. "Calm down, Daniel. Do it or else I'm calling Ponch and he will sedate your ass from here to Sunday! And Grace comes home in just a couple of days, so good luck visiting with her."

Alarmed wheezes eventually dwindled to a manageable level as Steve stayed angry and threatened him with everything from long-term sedation, to sleeping through Grace's visit, and on to never having another malasada in his lifetime. And it was easy because he was exhausted, still on edge from the stand-off with Rick Peterson, and reeling from Ramirez's earlier and very frightening phone call.

"That's better." He drew in his own sharp, deep breath as he used his forearm to wipe sweat from his brow. Still fully geared, Steve was once again a formidable sight for Danny to see. However, he could tell that something had happened since Steve's expression post-mission was completely different. Shoulders now hunched, much of the dangerous tension too had left his body and he was almost an entirely different person.

"Steve?" Unsure of what it meant, Danny's eyes were filled with a fearful confusion as he latched on to the strong hand. "What .. happened?"

"No." Steve's finger waggled from side to side in front of his face. "No. We have a lot to do to get you better and you are not going to undermine it with a panic attack."

Steve softened as quickly as he'd gotten angry but refused to get into what had just happened. He preferred to focus on what was now the more important matter with his best friend. "They don't know yet .. and you hang on to that for now. You have a great deal of inflammation near your spine and the pressure is affecting your nerves."

Danny drew in a noisy, shuddering breath as he listened to what could be and to what he might expect over the next few days. Even with the oxygen circulating across his nose and mouth, he felt light-headed and woozy from the shock. Inadvertently closing his eyes as painful thoughts swirled dizzily in his head, he felt Steve give him a worried shake on his shoulder.

"None of that either. No dwelling, shutting down or running every bad scenario you can think of through that obsessive brain of yours."

"Wasn't." Danny whispered tiredly. The mask moved slightly as he tried to say a few words before his voice diminished to a bare murmur. "It's all too much .. I don't know .. if I can. I can't do .. this."

"Yes, you were. And yes you can because we're all here to help." Steve snorted gently at the weary statement.

"It's been a day since it happened, Danny. One extremely long, terrible day and a lot has gone on in that time. We're all still trying to wrap our heads around this. But it's over .. we got the lunatic that did this and he's off the planet ... permanently."

He watched as a Danny managed a small nod and his eyes began to slide shut from a true fatigue and the strong sedatives that remained in his system. Both doctors were adamant that Danny now remain sedated until he was more stabilized. And Steve was glad that he still didn't need to say Rick Peterson's name out loud too because he was absolutely positive that Danny wouldn't be ready for the whole story.

Ramirez had been lurking along the back wall and he walked up quietly behind Steve as Danny fell asleep.

"Nicely done." He murmured quietly. "And you're right about what excessive inflammation can do to the body, but he needs time. We need more time. I spoke with Doctor Ober and he's pleased with how the surgery went considering the trauma."

"And." There was always more and Steve's one word was loaded with a demand for the complete truth.

"_And_, he's still listed as being in critical condition. Not much has changed. His vitals are far from stable and he's extremely weak. But his oxygen saturation levels are holding and slowly coming up. Stress and lack of rest are his worst enemies right now. We're discussing how to keep him mildly sedated without further risk. But it's a complicated balancing act. The possibility of needing to put him on a ventilator is still very high and professionally speaking, both of us want to avoid having to make that decision."

"_And_ he could be paralyzed." The statement was barely audible and Steve felt Ramirez put a kind hand on his shoulder before the doctor repeated himself.

"We need more time. First things first though ... stay calm and focused. Get his vitals stabilized and avoid the vent." Steve now understood the reasoning behind avoiding using the mechanical device. Besides being even more heavily sedated while on the machine, Ober had explained the potential for a patient to build up too strong a reliance on it. And then, a patient could acquire pneumonia. So while the vent certainly had its life-saving advantages, in Danny's case the host of new problems could easily negate any possible long-term benefits.

"He won't need it." Steve said as he watched Danny's chest rise and fall in short, shallow pants. "He won't need it because he's going to be fine."

Ramirez looked down at the floor and then at his hands in frustration. "Yes, well you still all need to be prepared .. the odds are not yet in his favor. You all need to be realistic and give Ober the time he needs to make the best prognosis."

His voice was very soft but it reached Steve's ears and he watched the broad shoulders stiffen once again in anger. This time Ramirez almost winced himself at the reaction. Heaving a sigh, he shoved his hands into his deep coat pockets.

"Is Kono with her cousin? I was told that he could be released the day after tomorrow." There were times when deflection was a good thing, and the change in subject lifted some of the unpleasant tension in the room.

"She's with him and I'll go over when she comes to sit with Danny." Steve was still on edge as he answered Ramirez, but he was slowly coming down from the stress of the mission. He eventually glanced in the doctor's direction as he stripped his gloves off and tiredly rubbed his face.

"Chin's doing well and can be back at desk duty in about two weeks."

He and Kono had agreed that Danny would never be alone based upon what had happened over the night-time hours. Chin was already asking to see him too. And Steve certainly didn't need to explain those facts to the doctor. In actuality, Ramirez fully believed the teams' intervention would be crucial to healing.

"And .. uh .. I can assume now you got that crackpot off the streets?"

"That we did." Steve stated with a flat finality.

"Good." And as he left the room, Ramirez accepted it easily enough without needing the details. "Very good."

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Chapter Eleven**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Danny woke again just a few hours later with the same sense of rising anxiety and near panic. His waking corresponded to his medication schedule and though he remained uneasy, he felt his body relax to the numbing effects as the nurse dispensed two syringes gently into his IV line.

"Pain medication and something to help you rest." He understood but didn't entirely appreciate the nurse's helpful explanation. He didn't want to sleep or rest. Plus the combined medication made his head feel thick and muzzy so he couldn't even properly think. Feeling a hand on his arm, it took him an incredibly long moment to realize that Kono was standing next to him. She smiled gently before taking his hand.

"So are you going to fall asleep or can we talk awhile?"

"Meds." He breathed out the apologetic explanation slowly as he forced his eyes to remain open. "I'd rather .. talk."

Understanding what he meant about the sedatives, Kono nodded as sat on the edge of the bed. It was easy to see that he was having a great deal of difficulty merely looking at her face. Glassy-eyed and pale, she didn't like the hazy drugged appearance in his formerly vibrant eyes.

"I know." Her whisper was meant to be soothing, but instead her tone nearly copied his level of distress. "I know, Danny. But it's only to help you get better." She and Steve had taken turns to run to their respective homes to change and freshen up. It was now late morning and Steve would swing by Chin's room on his way back unless called to do otherwise.

Kono pushed her hair back and then took a deep, settling breath before smiling again. She repeated herself and then decided to tell him about Chin's injuries. "It's because you need to stay calm, Danny, and everyone is worried. Steve went to check on Chin and then he'll be back."

As she anticipated, his face immediately showed his confusion which gave her the next planned opportunity. "That's right. You don't know about Chin yet ... do you?"

She and Steve had briefly discussed telling Danny about what had happened to Chin since the news was generally good. She was to tell Danny if he seemed up to it. In a big way, it was also another type of deflection ... though of course it would be something he would want to know about, too. Especially once he saw Chin's arm in a sling. And then they also had agreed to how the question of Rick Peterson would be neatly avoided; at least in the short term.

So Kono continued to smile as Danny shook his head in concern and whispered a soft '_no_'. "Well, let me start by saying first that he's okay." And then making sure that her tone remained light, Kono explained how Chin had heard the commotion near the diner and so, had been first to show up to provide Steve backup.

"Obviously you had been hit by then .. but the sniper was still active and on site." Danny stared at her as she carefully described how other shots had rung out and Chin had been hit in the midst of the chaos.

"How .. bad?" He asked worriedly, but Kono was at ease and Danny stayed quiet as he waited for her explanation.

"The guy was a bad shot. He clipped the Camaro and then Chin was hit cleanly through his shoulder. He's here but will be discharged by the day after tomorrow." Kono was truly happily grinning now from ear to ear.

"You can expect to see him .. he plans on talking Steve into stealing a wheelchair for some fancy footwork in less than an hour."

"Good. That's good. But my car was hit? The sniper shot .. my car?" Danny faked a groan under the oxygen mask and then weakly rolled his eyes. Though his voice was wispy, the tiny rant was welcome. "He clipped .. my car .. with a bullet? What a .. loser."

At that, Kono burst out with a short chuckle as she rubbed Danny's hands in her own. She smiled as he tiredly grinned back under the ever-present oxygen mask and then began to blink rapidly. With his last SICU check, Ellen had expressed some happy progress with his oxygen levels and steadying blood pressure. And though he was once again about to fall asleep, the subtle joke was very much _Danny_ and Kono was relieved.

"Too much talking. Go to sleep. But between me and you .. _loser_ is an understatement." Kono remarked discreetly without going any further. His eyes were sliding closed and he was fighting the effects of the medication much too hard.

"Now, go to sleep. I'll wake you up .. _maybe_ .. when Chin escapes this crazed nurse that has him under her thumb." It was another feeble quirk of his lips before Danny huffed a noise. He fell asleep; completely forgetting to ask who it was they had brought into custody.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

"How is he?" Chin asked from where he sat in the wheelchair. More than two hours had passed since Kono's earlier estimate because Chin's self-imposed guardian, Nurse Anna Paige, was a menace not only to her patients, but to the nursing profession as a whole. Both he and Steve had to wait until the uber-nurse actually got off shift and left TAMC property before putting their plan into motion.

Chin didn't know but Steve smiled when he saw the oxygen mask had been replaced with a nasal cannula. "He's a bit better." Kono affirmed softly.

"His condition is very serious but his oxygen levels have improved. They may bounce back to using the oxygen mask depending on how he does."

"Baby steps, then." Chin worriedly said as he studied Danny's face. "Any pain?"

Kono nodded as she pointed to his chest. "Yeah, he's been complaining about tightness and occasional sharp pains through to his back. About two hours ago, they gave him more pain medication; when he wakes up again, it won't be for long."

Raising her finger, she quickly shook her head when Chin asked about any feeling in his lower extremities.

"Too soon." She mouthed as she watched Danny's hands clench and then release the bedding. As his brow furrowed, Kono got up to intercept the pending storm since Danny had yet to open his eyes without some type of frenetic stress.

"He's waking up." With Steve's help, Chin struggled to stand from the wheelchair in order to sit on the edge of the bed, so he was the first person Danny actually saw when his eyes opened.

"So, I hear you're getting better?" Chin remarked brightly. "But I still get out of here before you."

Danny relaxed immediately as he woke up fully and saw that Chin was indeed only in a sling. "It's .. fine." Danny breathed out softly. Closing his eyes as the brief encounter was already wearing, he missed Steve's suddenly moody expression. When he opened them again, his hand traced his face and he realized the oxygen mask had been removed. While it certainly helped, it had also dried out his already parched mouth and made talking more of a chore than it already was.

"Ice?" He whispered to each face as his hand strayed up for the cup. The waking moments were closer together but disappointingly brief. And Danny could already feel exhaustion creeping up on him. Weakly, his hand fell back down before someone could even offer him help. "Thirsty".

"I got it." Kono said as she very slowly raised the head of the bed. Not daring to go too high, she raised it just enough where he wouldn't have difficulty with the melting liquid. And that was as far as the team got with their much too short visit. Almost apologetically, Danny gave up on his game attempt at fighting his weakened body.

"Tired. No .. more .. sedatives." The whisper was feeble and included a hint of annoyance as his eyes closed of their own accord. But he'd had no time to dwell on his physical state either so it was a complicated blessing. Carefully sliding back into the wheelchair, Chin's face was lined with a concerned level of stress.

He sighed as he sagged back down and also closed his own eyes. Unconsciously, he rubbed the forearm and then the fingers on his injured side as a dull ache throbbed into his shoulder. He could only imagine how Danny felt if he had a much lesser injury in comparison and was so very weary.

"You okay?" Steve asked as he unlocked the chair and backed him away from the bed. "You look pale and probably have had enough too. Maybe 'agonizing Anna' was right. Chin." They both snickered at their new pet name for the over-zealous nurse but Chin wound up nodding in agreement.

"I'm certainly not going to argue. But I'm glad I got to see him today." And then Kono took over and motioned towards the chair she'd been sitting in.

"I'll take him back and then will swing by the cafeteria. You stay."

Steve grinned his thanks as he picked up the same worn and tattered magazine he'd thumbed through about a thousand times already. Legs stretched out in front of him, he spread out in the small chair. But the magazine was resting opened on his chest as he watched Danny take weak, shallow breaths.

The soft murmur about the sedation saddened Steve and he would talk to both doctors about the ongoing necessity. Beneath the pale eyes, the resentment was at least clear to him.

"Just want to get you well, Danno." He sighed to himself as he closed his own eyes that were now burning from over 48 hours of non-stop activity. Eventually, the magazine tumbled to the ground as Steve fell asleep sitting up in the bedside chair.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **Yeah, I know it's short. What can I say .. procedural stuff is sometimes necessary!

**Chapter Twelve**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Steve and Kono were called to the Governor's office the next day. With no way to avoid the demand, Chin coerced and then pleaded with his stalwart protective nurse about sitting quietly in the ICU with Danny. The final word was granted though only after Nurse Ellen Ramirez sweetly intervened on his behalf.

To be fair, the Governor informed Steve that his actions were being put into effect solely to quiet Internal Affairs before they could even think to make the request. Denning made it perfectly clear that his demands were also directly related to when Peterson was shot while possibly in custody after kidnapping Grace. While not proven to be true, the ex-cop had lodged an official complaint against Danny for excessive force. But with no proof, the allegation was eventually dropped and deemed unfounded. Now dead at the hands of Five-0 and HPD SWAT, the two teams and Steve in particular, were under a formal investigation to substantiate their actions.

"We have to follow a process of due diligence, Steve. Trust me that it will be fast because Sanderson was also present. And frankly, he's taking some time off too."

Denning was fair and though it was a thorn in their side, they had no doubts it would be resolved. To the press once the gag order was relieved, it was going to be a big story to focus on "cop against cop". The Governor was doing the right thing proactively to avoid an ever bigger sensationalized event.

Casually, Steve placed his badge on Denning's desk though the man didn't think that was exactly warranted. "Thank you. It actually makes sense."

"Take the time off with pay until this is put to bed, Commander. Chin is on medical leave and Kono wouldn't be expected to take on a full case load. So, plan on having official Five-0 task force duties temporarily suspended until all of this is completely resolved."

"How's he doing?" Denning asked quietly. The two faces in front of him changed drastically to sober even more than when he had first called them together.

After updating Denning on the worrisome news, Steve looked down at his hands before measuring the Governor's reaction. "He doesn't even know yet." Steve stated as Denning's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"No one believes that he's well enough to know that Peterson did this. He's made some minor improvements, but his condition is considered to be serious. One blessing is that there are no TV's in SICU. But he's going to want to know .. soon. And we are going to have to tell him."

Leaving the offices, the two felt a combined sense of relief and aggravation. The newly found freedom gave them time to be with Danny. But it was a slap in the face to have a forced temporary suspension of activities due to the likes of Rick Peterson.

In the truck, Steve smiled as plans rolled around in his head. "We will take advantage of this time in more ways than one. We should at least take the time to manage regular tasks .. get caught up on paperwork, organize our files and follow up on whatever has been on our desks."

Kono glared at him mockingly from the passenger seat. "And by _we_, you really mean me?" She had to laugh when she saw that he was grinning too.

He got slapped for his next comment though and faked true pain. "You can just go through the motions. Like you usually do!"

But in reality, Chin was going to be released and the unspoken other side of the coin was Danny. And in a very big way, the team couldn't be happier.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Danny tamped down on the bad feelings he couldn't entirely control. Regardless of who was present, he was dwelling on the possibility of paralysis. And for the growing amount of time that he was awake, he would experiment and focus on a toe, his ankle or his bad knee. Surely he would be able to tweak that bad knee and feel something?

Steve noticed it first and just the prior evening. Even though Danny would murmur a reply or act as if he were completely listening, there was no hiding the distant, shadowed look in his eyes. And every so often he would wince because his attempts affected his breathing and he would accidentally tense his back or stomach muscles. That morning, Danny had actually managed a few spoonfuls of broth before falling into another restless nap. However, he was shamming sleep and doing it at that moment while Steve glared at him over the top of the magazine he pretended to read.

"What are doing?" Steve's eyebrows were raised as he caught the latest grimace and Danny unconsciously rubbed his chest nearest the thick bandages. Four short days had passed since Danny first woke up after surgery and he was still bedridden in Intensive Care. Three days had passed since Peterson had been killed and now a little less than two days since the sedation had been lifted. In fact, both doctors had grudgingly and very cautiously backed off on the strong medication. And as it left his system, Danny had grown more aware and eventually more vocal. The baseline MRI had been done during surgery and he was now due for another the next morning. No longer heavily drugged, the stress continued to mount and Danny's newest trick was quiet experimentation.

"Daniel? What exactly are you doing?" Instead of answering Danny simply kept his eyes closed and it wasn't to avoid Steve, it was to force back an unexpected, weary anger. Just recently, most of his vital signs had begun to stabilize, but he remained distressingly weak and even morose as he became increasingly aware.

Because not only was he dwelling, he had also realized something else was ominously absent.

"Danny?" If nothing else, Steve was persistent. "Knock it off."

"You should go home." He hadn't meant to say it out loud but suddenly he wanted to be alone. "Really, go home. Chin's been released and Kono's helping him run errands today. You should do the same thing."

"What? Run errands with Chin?" The sarcasm ran deep and it made Danny resentfully open his eyes. And from his perspective, Steve didn't like either the lack of interest or life in them.

"Go home, Steve. You can't do anything here. And why are you here so much? I'm sure the Governor has things for you to do." He didn't care but knew he had just made everything worse as Steve stood to his full height and folded his arms.

"Excuse me?" Both Ober and Ramirez had warned the team of a number of worrisome signs. Depression being at the top of the list; from surgery alone and the effects of anesthesia, he could become temperamental or depressed. Heap on the necessity of being bedridden for days on end with the possibility of a life-changing injury and Steve was hyper-vigilant.

So his response was annoyingly simple and very direct. "No."

Unexpectedly, it made Danny begin to shake as he tried again in a forced, clipped monotone. "Go. Home. Steven."

Personal space was one thing and the entire team was conscious of not over staying their welcome. But Steve knew this was something else as Danny convulsively swallowed. His hands were too quiet, his face too pale and now his sad eyes were much too glazed. The team had avoided any references to the case and it actually had been easy since Danny slept more than remained awake. It was time for that discussion though and Steve hesitated only briefly before sitting down on the bed. But before he could begin, Danny asked the one critical question that he'd become preoccupied with for the last several hours.

"Rachel didn't care. About any of this?" It was asked in a moody, hurt tone. His waking state was longer, his vitals were improving and Steve sighed as the inevitable questions began in earnest.

"She cares, Danny. Very much." Steve chewed on all of it for a long time before even opening his mouth a second time. Just the day before, he had told Denning that the man wasn't strong enough to know the truth yet. But on the other side of things, Danny would obsess as he was starting to do now and that too, would quickly become problematic. And Grace's absence couldn't ever be easily explained away. All of these things were strongly interrelated and it was definitely time to gently explain the whole story.

"Are you sure?" Steve asked first. "Because this is not what you're going to expect to hear and Danny, please remember that you need to say calm. You can't afford any setbacks."

The warning and Steve's cautionary attitude briefly confused Danny and he did try to prepare himself. In fact, Steve gave him even more time by beginning with the fact that Grace, Rachel and he were absolutely safe.

"Remember this one key thing. Rachel knows what's going on and I made a certain decision ... based on what was going on at the time. So, remember that too." Steve demanded it as he practically stared through Danny's eyes.

"I won't hesitate to call Ponch in here .. and he absolutely won't think twice about putting you back under. Completely."

"Tell me already. Why are you being so damned evasive?" Danny frowned at the over-protectiveness and extreme care that was being stressed. "I mean .. really .. how bad can it be? Who did this, Steve and why did they target me and Chin? What could it possibly mean to Rachel? Who do you have in custody?"

Steve sighed and pointed his finger at Danny's face warningly to remain calm before answering. "You were the only target. Just you. Chin got in the way."

The startled expression and immediate intake of breath proved now that Steve was making an unfortunate impact. Immediately worried, Steve began to rub his arm and make demands. "Breathe slowly. Or else we stop right here. And don't be angry with Rachel. It was my decision to keep them away. They were safer in England. Grace was safer."

Once Danny had gained some control, Steve started again. And rather than uttering the man's name, Steve tried a different tactic that could yield maybe a gentler response.

"It was your old training officer .. from Jersey."

And at first it seemed to work as Danny stared blankly at Steve's face. The sluggish wheels turned and Danny's face paled even more as he put it together.

"What did you just say?" Danny whispered harshly as sweat beaded alarmingly on his forehead. "He's .. here? That's impossible. He's in jail .. in Chicago."

"You knew that?" It was Steve's turn to be surprised because Kono had only found out about the prison move after calling the New Jersey State facility they had all thought Rick Peterson had been housed at. Quietly measuring Danny's state of mind, he actually breathed through a tight smile. "Of course you would know. Wouldn't you."

He understood then that Danny had kept a circumspect eye on the dangerous ex-cop. But Danny was beginning to have trouble breathing as well as tremble from the shock of the news and Steve quickly paged the nurse's station.

"I'm fine. Talk." Danny said as he tried to fathom what Steve was telling him but his body betrayed him as his hands began to tremble. He closed his eyes to swallow hard against a tide of strong emotions; anger being foremost at hand. Rick had escaped. And not only that, he had only one clear goal and had nearly managed to pull it off. But he had nearly succeeded and Danny sucked in a ragged breath as he glanced at his blanket-covered legs. The next realization startled him badly though and his eyes flew back to Steve's face.

"Grace. He could have killed Grace. He could have done anything." His next inhale caught in his throat and he watched Steve anxiously ringing the nurse's station for a second time. "It's okay. I'm fine. You kept them in England. You made them stay."

He was distinctly overwhelmed as he absorbed what Steve and his team had done for him.. and for Grace. But his voice was thin and brittle; and he could hear that even in his own ears. "I'm okay, really."

"You're not fine, Danno. And I'm taking too big of a chance right now." Steve was as adamant as Danny's breathing altered significantly and his voice dropped to an exhausted whisper. Finding the tightly fisted hand under the bedding, Steve forced him to pay attention.

"Listen to me. Yes, Peterson escaped .. he had money, inside help, and his plans were detailed and lengthy. He came looking specifically for you. But it's over now."

Steve was talking faster than he had intended but Danny was hanging on every word as he tried to process the information. His right hand pulled out of Steve's grip to wave awkwardly whenever Steve paused to insist that he continue.

"I will if you breathe and calm down." He saw that Danny was struggling to do just that, but barely keeping it together. "Listen to me. He's gone, alright. He left us no choice in the end. It didn't take long to track him down and when we did, he nearly took out Kono."

"What do you mean **_gone_**?" The outburst was louder than he intended, and Danny paused to rub the painful tight pull near his chest. "Gone, how?" Instead of answering him directly, Steve's dark expression provided the answer and sinking into the pillows, Danny closed his eyes.

Rick had come back with murderous intent. And now he was dead. It was a lot to wrap his head around and Danny ran out of words.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked quietly as Danny became scarily subdued and then only nodded weakly in reply to the worried questions. "Danny?"

But Doctor Ramirez chose that moment to come in and one look at his distressed patient explained what the topic of conversation had been. Picking up Danny's wrist the old fashioned way, Ramirez checked his fluttering pulse and measured his erratic respiration. Mumbling something about the high blood pressure, the nasal cannula was smoothly replaced with the oxygen mask.

"You needed to know." Ramirez only had eyes for Danny as he gauged his ability to remain calm. Outwardly, he seemed quiet but now he was taking deep, settling breaths into the oxygen mask. With a glance towards Steve who was equally concerned, the doctor leaned over the bed with an authoritative warning.

"I understand that you needed to know .. and I'm aware of the entire terrible story. But if this jeopardizes your recovery, I will have Commander McGarrett's head served to me on a platter. Ober gets what little will be left of him."

The unexpected comment did the trick as Danny's eyes widened and he even attempted a weak grin while Ramirez continued his short lecture. Behind him, Steve spun in a circle with his hands on his hips still clearly unhappy about having to finally explain everything. With a stern look, Ramirez frowned at them both. "I know for a fact that he would have eased into this discussion, Detective. So behave or under you go for the rest of the night."

And Danny nodded at the truth of it as Steve shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "He's here. He actually came back." Danny spoke to the doctor as if he had met Rick Peterson and as if he could understand the magnitude of the act. And in a way, Ramirez did understand so he smiled reassuringly as he readied the small syringe that he had held coyly in his hand. It was a mild enough sedative and Danny needed to come down a few notches from the shock of learning the news.

"Yes. And now .. he's decidedly _**not**_ here. And what happens next, needs to be all about you and getting you back on your feet." The strong mix of emotions that crossed Danny's face had Steve grabbing at his hand while Ramirez administered the sedative into the I.V. port. Then Ramirez nearly kicked himself for the poor choice of words as he tried to recant the statement and offer more of an explanation.

"Your next schedule MRI is tomorrow. The inflammation will have gone down - I guarantee that in fact. So let's simply handle all of this day by day." He sighed when Danny's worried eyes settled on the syringe which he'd just dispensed.

"This is very, very mild .. my goal is not to knock you out. I just want you to calm yourself."

"He's dead? Rick is dead?" Steve inwardly groaned because for as much as the man had hurt Grace and his partner, Danny's own hatred for the man was on a completely different level. His definition of hate also included pity and remorse with a large dose of hope that the ex-cop might some day change.

"Yes he is." Steve replied quietly. "I'm sorry, Danny." And he meant that too. However, once again his own apology was for an entirely different reason.

Their eyes met as Danny used the medication to help calm his racing mind and heart. But in this, Steve would never have the same resolve or mindset as his partner. As far as he was concerned, call it suicide by cop or doing what had been necessary to protect his friends, Steve was glad to have wiped Rick Peterson off the face of the earth.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	14. Chapter 14

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **Happy Easter and Passover - have a nice holiday weekend everyone. Eat chocolate! Not a doctor .. but some reasonable level of research was done.

**Chapter Fourteen**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

He had needed to know. But the news kept him up most of the night and every time he blearily opened his eyes, Steve was there. There was no sense in discussing it more, and yet they did until the words simply dwindled away. An then an uneasy sleep was disrupted as Danny was prepped for the pending MRI and it was then that he insisted Steve go home.

"It's two hours of time that you can at least use." Danny said as he picked through breakfast. The test wasn't something anyone could attend with the patient, so Steve eventually agreed with a promise that he'd return promptly.

He only left though when the morning's nursing staff began to remove the various monitors and wires. But in reality, Steve had other plans and phone calls to make and wouldn't necessarily use the time as Danny assumed.

Results of the MRI would be sent to Doctor Ober for review that very day. Transported by gurney, the process was taxing emotionally, mentally and physically for Danny. Plus he would readily admit that his mind was still coming to grips after learning about Rick Peterson. So he was barely responding to anyone and didn't care to even try to help when they brought him back to his room in Intensive Care. Completely drained of energy, Danny limply allowed the medical team to get him situated back in his bed.

His room was quiet and he took a moment to realize that he was blessedly alone. In a way he was relieved that Steve hadn't returned to the hospital yet. The test had taken slightly longer than anticipated due to an overloaded schedule and a small staff. Now, it was early afternoon and there was a subtle scent of food in the air, so he knew that the patients who could eat were receiving light lunches. He was on that short list and could hear the soft clanging of trays in the hallway. He could easily guess that one of the nurses or aides would be visiting him shortly. But demoralized and moody, Danny wasn't remotely interested in doing more than laying in bed.

He had his eyes closed and was beginning to doze when Ellen Ramirez strolled in to bother him by adjusting the head of the bed and scooting a small tray under his nose.

"Danny, you've had a busy morning. So, try just a bit." She asked softly. "Broth. Yogurt. Jello. Nothing fancy."

Without answering, he nodded politely but closed his eyes again. Feigning sleep, he stayed that way until he felt her leave the room. Eventually, he sensed footsteps again and sighed unhappily. It could only be Steve based on the heavier tread and larger shadow that partially blocked the fluorescent lights.

"You haven't eaten." His frown deepened as Steve's shape loomed over his head and he heard the tray being moved around. His only response was to make himself sink even smaller into the bedding until Steve tried again.

"Are you sleeping?"

"Yes. I am." Danny couldn't hide the blunt tone as he refused to open his eyes. Over-exhausted and unable to stop wallowing in his emotions, he shook his head and resentfully put an arm over half of his face.

Steve's answer though bordered on a long drawled out sarcasm that included an angry level of annoyance. The dark shadow above his face shifted even closer to block more of the light.

"Sorry, Grace. It seems like Danno's having a difficult day. Maybe we should come back later."

His eyes flew open in alarm at that, ready to bite Steve's head off for going to such an extreme. But sure enough, his daughter was being held by his rather perturbed friend who was now determinedly making room for Grace to say hello.

"Grace?" The honest disbelief was enough of an apology for both people as Steve gently put her down next to her father. Her face was still uncertain though about what to make of his temper so she waited for him to hold his hands out.

"Hi Danno." She smiled happily enough as his eyes finally softened and he found his voice.

"This .. _you_ .. what a nice surprise! I thought you had a one or two more days away."

Steve folded his arms with a cocky, self-satisfied grin while he watched the reunion. "Once the coast was clear, I only had one more very important phone call to make. And then Rachel made immediate travel arrangements. They just got home while you were downstairs."

His meaningful look indicated that Grace knew nothing at all about Rick Peterson. All she knew was that Danno got hurt at work and was going to get better. "Rachel is outside in the waiting room with Kono so we don't over-run the ICU."

"Thank you. Again." Danny whispered to Steve apologetically as he stroked Grace's hair. "Hey, Monkey. What a fantastic surprise this is. I can't believe you're here!"

"Does it hurt, Danno?" Grace was pointedly looking at the lumpy white bandage showing under his hospital gown and the many wires and leads. He was still grinning widely though as he absorbed every feature of her face.

"Not a bit. But you look very tired, Monkey. Long trip home?" She nodded with a big, exaggerated yawn that soon had them both laughing.

"We just landed and came right here." Grace cocked her head to study his pale face. "You look tired, too. You look sad, Danno."

"Nope. Not at all. It's only the bad lighting in here." He quickly disagreed and Steve made a soft mocking sound at the sorry excuse. But Danny turned a deaf ear to him as he pulled Grace closer and tucked her under his arm.

"Tell me about your grandparents and cousins. Did you have a good time?"

Completely ignored by that point, Steve left them alone; only pausing once in the doorway as father and daughter caught up on lost time. Both were exhausted. One little girl from a very long airplane trip and another man from very serious injuries and mental stress.

But already, eyes were brighter and moods had lifted. Each had entirely forgotten everything else as Grace dramatically explained how her cousin had broken his wrist by being silly at the zoo.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* **

Grace's visit was a peaceful balm. She stayed for more than two hours and accidentally managed to get her father to eat the entire tray of light food. Her winning smile even secured two extra Jello cups which they shared together. When she wandered into the hallway it was to report that Danno had fallen asleep and that she was very tired too.

And then Doctor Ober arrived just as they were leaving and Steve met him in the doorway to Danny's room. With his patient finally sleeping more soundly, they all moved to a quiet corner of the waiting room. The neurosurgeon was practically beaming with excitement.

"As you know, there was a delicate process to remove debris and repair damage within the muscles and tissues nearest the spine. And of course, the inflammation post surgery was very, very close to the spinal column and lumbar nerves."

Rachel and Kono were already smiling, but Steve was holding his breath as Ober rubbed his hands together. "The MRI proves that we are merely dealing with significant swelling nearest the nerve bundle. Compression is affecting feeling and the impulses between his muscles and brain."

Steve shrugged aimlessly at the doctor's explanation; the only thing keeping him from becoming more nervous than he thought he should be was the doctor's joyous attitude. And including words like _swelling, inflammation_ and _merely_ were also interestingly optimistic.

"So, that sounds .. good. Right?"

Ober was grinning as he added the final key point. "His chances for a full recovery have ... in simple terms .. completely flipped in his favor."

Steve blinked in confusion and felt the color leave his face as he realized the import of the findings. "He had a maybe 10% chance of regaining full feeling. So now, are you telling me it's up to 90%?"

The relieved chuckle from Kono even made Grace smile though she didn't quite understand the complicated words. She could easily tell that everyone was becoming very happy, so Danno was definitely getting better. Doctor Ober was smiling foolishly too as he grabbed Steve's shoulder and gave him a proud squeeze.

"I am. That's exactly what I'm saying. We'll do another MRI in two days .. but I expect to see another marked improvement as long as we stay the course. We will continue with the aggressive use of steroids to combat the inflammation and the appropriate analgesics for pain management. Feeling should start to return soon."

Almost dizzy with relief, Steve wound up sitting down in the nearest chair with an undignified thump. "He's sleeping." His eyes were shining by now but he hesitated to actually wake his partner to tell him the good news. "He had a rough night."

With a chuckle, the doctor put a hand on his shoulder and then shrugged cheerfully as he looked at each glowing face. "Well then .. we'll just have to tell him when he wakes up!"

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	15. Chapter 15

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **Eat chocolate!

**Chapter 15**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

When Danny woke hours later, he actually felt well-rested. He also woke more naturally and though he remained worried, it was with a much lesser evil foreboding. Raising the head of the bed slightly, he could see that Steve was sleeping in the corner of the room with the now war-torn and badly battered magazine spread open across his chest. Legs stretched out in front of him, Steve looked as if he were barely balanced in the chair. Danny shook his head at the sight; the man was determined to keep him safe, even now if only from himself.

Noises from the hallway were increasing and once more, the soft scent of food was wafting through the hallway. After his daughter left, Danny had slept comfortably through the afternoon and had now woken in time for dinner. He allowed himself a grin; Grace was now safely home and he was indeed a more content person.

But technically alone while Steve slept on, he automatically initiated his personal experiment with a bit more vim and vigor. Keeping half a cautious eye on Steve, he pushed the blankets awkwardly down to his waist. He began first with staring at his bad knee and when nothing happened, he raised the bed slightly again for an improved vantage point.

Moments later, he was sweating at the mental exertion and getting nowhere. His face had fallen into a deep scowl and the furrows in his forehead were testament to how hard he was trying; one hand was fisted in the hospital gown by his stitched chest and the other was firmly wrapped around the remote. And seconds after that, he was peeling a magazine off his face and sputtering in shock.

"What. Are. You. Doing." The level of irritation was evident in each bitten off word and Danny immediately reacted to the unexpected attack by being defensive. And he was indignant as he refused to give in to Steve.

"I have to try .. I can't just lay here!" Unconsciously rubbing at the bandaged area, he sank into the pillows as his wounded back joined in the deep ache. But ignoring both, he made a distinctly annoyed face.

Pushing himself out of the chair, Steve slammed his finger nearly into Danny's nose. "No trying anything until the doctors say so. And you can and will just lay there until that day comes!"

Steve was on edge, demanding and oddly, also happy. It was a strange jittery combination and Danny completely quieted as his partner began to frenetically pace the floor. Something had happened while he was sleeping. Before he could ask, Steve turned and stumbled over his words.

"You got good news today, Danno." It all came out then in a rushed excitement. "Good news. And you can't jeopardize it. I won't let you."

"What are you babbling about?" Danny asked hesitantly. He didn't think that Doctor Ober would have read through the results so soon, but Steve's eyes were full of an excited light. "The MRI .. it was good?"

"You bet." Steve stated bluntly as he paced back to the bed. Sitting for a minute on the edge of the mattress, only seconds later he had rocked up again to walk to the window. "Doctor Ober came in with the test results just as Rachel and Grace were leaving."

Steve's excitement was obvious now and he ran his hands through his hair as a big smile spread across his face. "Danny .. he really thinks that you're going to be fine."

"What?" The announcement made him light-headed and Danny closed his eyes from an unexpected feeling of vertigo. As he rubbed his face, his next words came out in a sharp wheeze. "I .. don't .. understand."

He actually did but didn't know what else to say as he pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. He didn't feel much different but Steve was certainly excited on his behalf; and Danny began to feel the faint stirrings of his own hopeful feelings.

"The test results were good." Danny repeated the words softly to himself almost in disbelief. "They were that good?"

Steve's face nearly crumpled when he realized that his exuberance could completely undo Danny's newly stable vital signs. Striding back to the bed, Steve sat firmly next to him and shrewdly paged the nurse's station. The few hard swallows combined with the sweat on his forehead had Steve almost cursing himself for the manner in which he shared the test results. And he should have guessed it since his own stunned reaction had been so very similar.

Danny was beginning to smile, though his fingers were cold as he asked for a drink and then insisted he was okay.

"I mess you up talking about something good." Steve remarked in a self-patronizing tone. "I didn't think .. I should have known this would throw you for a loop."

The faint grin and the small wave dismissed the worry and concern. "I didn't expect it. Everyone ... downstairs .. with the MRI and testing. It wasn't the best experience." Danny's expression became more thoughtful as he looked at Steve's worried face.

"I was just another person to run through the machine. A number .. a body .. to be processed." Danny swallowed hard again and shook his head at the unpleasant memory. "No one could or would tell me anything. Only that I was their fifth of the day and results would be sent to my doctor later on. Just a few more .. and then it would be time to go home. Shift over."

He raised his hand and made a half-hearted motion like he was ringing a bell. "Ding, ding."

His voice held a caustic, sarcastic lilt and Steve completely stilled. After calling Rachel and coordinating the visit, his primary goal was to get Grace to the hospital as soon as possible. Steve hadn't thought about the stress of the testing .. only that Grace would be there to surprise her father when he got back to the room.

So it had all been extremely exhausting .. completely draining and it was the reason for Danny's earlier morose attitude. But Grace .. his saving _grace_ .. had pulled him out of the doldrums and the visit could not have been at a better time. However, Danny still hadn't been prepared for the sudden outburst of good news.

"I didn't know about that and I'm sorry, Danny." But he only reached out to pick at Steve's shirt sleeve.

"No you, goof. I just didn't expect it." They both looked up as a new nurse entered the room. "And I'm not sure that I believe it .. yet."

"Can you check him out please .. he had a bit of an event." Steve was still kicking himself mentally as Danny's color was much too slow to return to his face. So worried about him trying to move and accidentally hurt himself, Steve had startled him with the very news they'd all been hoping to hear. But when he woke to see the strain of deep pained concentration on his partner's face, Steve had been shocked into action.

"Really? An event?" Danny chuckled the words out as a short laugh. The nurse easily obliged though and then made a quizzical sound about her patient's readings.

"Your blood pressure is a bit high and your pulse is racing." She remarked. "Do you have a headache or any trouble with vision?"

And Danny was honest in return because Steve was all over the truthfulness of the response as he continually berated himself.

"I just got good news .. what would you expect? But no .. nothing's wrong like that." The teasing glimmer was in his eyes and Steve was failing now at remaining unhappy as the nurse made a few notes. Thinking to herself for a brief moment, she insisted on switching out to the full oxygen mask from the nasal cannula.

"I need to get your doctor ..I'm going to insist on full oxygen just to be on the safe side. But I think you're basically fine."

Danny didn't even grumble as he leaned back with his eyes closed. Blindly, he reached out to Steve and found his hand firmly grasped in Steve's own. With the nurse gone, he moved the mask away from his face to talk. "It's amazing what a little bit of good news will do, isn't it?"

"Put that back!" The tone was beginning to lighten as Steve started to chuckle. "It's not funny, Danno!"

"It actually is." Danny exhaled and then took a deep breath of oxygen with a growing smile. Cracking one eye open, he huffed another happy sound because he rarely had ever seen his partner so very rattled. Motioning to his legs, he wanted to know more though and he pressed for the details. "This is good .. really good .. but what about walking? What's next? When do I get out of here?"

Before Steve could reply, Doctor Ramirez ambled into the room with the helpful nurse in tow. Silently, he reviewed her notes and then listened to Steve's apologetic soft tirade as he watched Danny's lips quirk into another smile under the oxygen mask.

"He's fine." Ramirez quietly soothed both men. "I agree that full oxygen is the best protocol right now. So, I know this isn't your favorite thing ... but let's leave this on for a few hours until your breathing improves. Congratulations on the excellent test results by the way."

"About that .." Danny began, once again pointing to his legs. "What's next?" Doctor Ramirez nodded and then tapped his watch to indicate that his patient still needed more time.

"The inflammation is going down and you have another MRI in two days. But feeling should start to come back and that will dictate our next steps. In the short term, Doctor Ober wants you to keep doing what you're doing. Including ... continued rest and gaining your strength back." It wasn't quite enough for Danny and he frowned until Steve poked him in the arm.

"It's all good, Danny. Time we've got." The two began to grin again as it all sank in but Ramirez bristled unhappily at Danny as an aide brought in his dinner tray. Waving aimlessly in the air, Danny pointed to the oxygen mask and then the small covered dinner tray.

"It's got to come off. How can I eat, Doc?" His words were muffled and he was completely unable now to stop the giddy chuckle.

With an exaggerated sigh, Ramirez allowed Danny to tug the mask off as the food was pushed closer. Trying now to hide his own inane grin, the doctor rocked on his toes and tried to be firm before leaving the room. "Fine. Fine! But I expect every morsel to be gone. And then back on it goes!"

The small antics finally made Steve completely relax as he began to uncover the very light dinner. It was enough to make him wonder if the hospital planned to starve his partner to death or actually get him well as Ramirez demanded. But one look at Danny's greenish face proved that the simple dinner of broth, crackers and fruit cup would likely be plenty.

"You heard the man." Steve remarked dryly as Ramirez disappeared down the corridor. With a flourish, Steve handed the plastic soup spoon to his partner.

"All of it, Danno."

A brighter expression met Steve's face as Danny reached out to snatch the spoon from his fingers. "What have I told you about calling me that. Huh?"

But the mild reprimand ended on a pleased light chuckle and Steve only grinned happily in response.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	16. Chapter 16

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes:**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Danny was moved to a private room two days later and on his way back from the second MRI. The experience with that splintered group of people was identical to his first and Danny found himself once again feeling unexpectedly distressed as he was shuttled about from technicians and through the process. Exhausted, he kept his eyes closed and one arm flung over his face as he was brought back to his room.

"We're here. Let's get you comfortable. I think you'll like this much better." Forcing his eyes open, he blinked up at the one man who seemed to genuinely care.

"New room?" Looking around, Danny realized that he'd been transferred out of intensive care but he immediately began to smile for another reason.

"Hey! Monkey! Rachel!" While it was true that the new private room was an immense relief with its large windows, nothing could compare to his eagerly waiting daughter. So Danny didn't have the opportunity to stay morose about his inability to cope with the long process or continued inability to feel his legs.

"New room .. and two beautiful visitors." The friendly aide noted as a genuine smile finally crept across his charge's face.

"Danno!" Grace wasn't able to keep quiet as he was settled into the new bed. Balloons were everywhere and the TV was on with some cartoon mindlessly echoing in the background. Rachel was smiling in the corner of the room and practically needing to demand that their daughter wait the few minutes it would take for her father to be settled. As soon as the hospital staff left, she was carefully climbing up to sit next to him and shoving get well cards under his nose.

"Are you better yet?" Grace asked as she tried to see the bandage on his chest. Rachel leaned over to give him a quick kiss on the forehead. "You do look better Danny."

His reply was quiet but very happy. "Almost. I just had some tests done and have to wait .. again."

Grace's smile was infectious and they wound up staying for hours. Just the three of them catching up on the holiday in England and going through volumes of family photographs that Grace had taken with her camera. After only visiting that morning, Steve was most noticeably not present. But it was only because Rachel of all people had insisted upon it.

_"How about you time?"_ She had asked him just the day before. _"Grace and I are coming whether you are there or not - so he won't be alone. And we can stay for as long as he's up to it after this MRI. So, why don't you take a few hours, Steve?"_

He'd been uncertain and had waffled badly about the option. But in a way, Rachel was right because Danny would want to visit solely with Grace and even with his ex-wife, too. He could feasibly only wind up wandering around the hospital to stay out of the way. So he had agreed and the hours away from the hospital had completely refreshed him. With time on his hands, he'd done mundane household chores and then fit in a long, healthy swim. A short nap on the lanai and nearing dinner time, Steve was ready to return to the hospital.

Steve found himself unexpectedly grinning when his cell phone rang and it was Rachel. "_We're going to hang out for another half hour or so .. his dinner should come then and I need to feed Grace._" It was his signal to return and he thanked her. But she hesitated to quietly share something else with him.

"_He mentioned being relieved about not having to look over his shoulder anymore. I thought you'd want to know that_." Rachel's voice was soft and subdued. It sounded as if she were out in the hallway, but it certainly was easy enough for Steve to understand her subtle comment.

"_He's sad about what he thinks is a physical lack of progress .. but in a way, he's also much better."_

"I know what you mean, Rachel. Thank you." There was a soft intake of breathe and then a change to a lighter, happier tone before the call ended.

"_And Steve .. he's in a private room now. Plus, be ready for even more good news."_

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

After the long day, Danny was sleeping when Steve arrived. The room was peacefully quiet with the blinds drawn against the late day sun. A few balloons bounced in the corner and the side table was littered with get well cards. It was a bright, happy place and significantly better than the ICU had been.

Silently standing there, Steve tried to see the changes in his friend. But other than being in a brighter room, it was still hard. The same machines were present and nearly in identical placement. Heart monitor, two different IV poles, oxygen and blood pressure equipment. The white bandage still peeked out from the top of Danny's hospital gown. And another was on his lower back from the entrance wound. The bullet had traveled on a transverse path because Danny had turned to look at the playground. Slowed by the vest, it entered his back on the right, and departed on his left side.

Though he'd received the initial optimistic reports personally, it was still somewhat difficult to trust Rachel's parting remarks. He too, like Danny, was anxious to see some tangible improvements.

"I do hope it's more good news." Steve whispered softly. "We need more of that."

Sneaking to the corner, Steve smiled at the small teddy bear Grace had obviously left behind. Tucking it under his arm, he picked the chair up and moved it closer to the bed so he could watch Danny sleep.

"You'd be dead if you hadn't turned around." Steve leaned forward with his chin resting on tented fingers. He had replayed that second over in his mind a thousand different ways. He'd gone back after leaving the hospital earlier that morning and estimated where they had parked. Standing by the passenger side of the car, Steve had mimicked Danny's stance while both turning and not turning. And one thing had become perfectly clear: if Danny hadn't turned at a child's happy laughter, Rick Peterson would have succeeded. The realization had upset, angered him again and he had left the old crime scene in a terrible mood. He had only begun to feel better after a long, hard swim in the ocean.

But now after relaxing for what felt like the entire day, Steve was far from tired and he could sit just so long in the hospital room. His trip to the nurses station was uneventful and yielded no new information. Danny's records didn't exactly state the MRI results and neither of his doctors were in the hospital. He was on the same prescriptive routine and was allowed additional pain medications should he experience any issues or develop a headache.

"We can call Doctor Ober if you'd like." But Steve waved off the offer as not necessary and after a quick look back into the room, he ran down to the small gift shop for a newspaper and a few new magazines.

Around eight o'clock, Steve dimmed the lights in the room. With rest still of the highest priority, Danny was sleeping soundly and had missed dinner. But Steve had secured the fruit and another Jello cup for later.

Immersed now in the sports section of the paper, he didn't realize Danny had finally woken until he heard the motor of the bed.

"You missed dinner." Steve smiled as he dropped the folded paper to the floor and walked over to the bed. "Should you raise that so high?"

Danny hadn't yet been elevated more than a few gentle degrees and he was now in the process of thumbing the bed nearly straight up. The glimmer of pain made Steve frown in confusion as he asked the question again.

"Really? This high .. Danny, that can't be comfortable. I can tell it hurts already." The worried expression stopped Steve from further questions about what he was doing. But he did take the remote away from his partner to lower it back just a fraction. Danny's face was pale and he was trembling but still had yet to speak. "Danny, what's wrong?"

Waking slowly, Danny lay peacefully enough with his eyes closed; content with remembering the long, pleasant afternoon with Grace. But the memories hadn't woken him and neither had any dreams.

The tingling caught his attention first just above both his knees and then partially down the side of his left calf muscle. And the unexpected feeling woke him fully at that point and his eyes flew open in alarm. Forcing himself to breathe slowly, he tried to think about what he was feeling. Other than the rather persistently dull aches in his chest and lower back, this was definitely new and very different. Not quite pain and yet not entirely comfortable, the tingling sensation was very real.

Fumbling through the bedding, Danny found the bedside remote and anchored his thumb firmly to the up button. And when Steve showed up to question what he was doing, Danny couldn't find his voice to answer him. Completely uncertain if he should feel anything like this in his legs, he stared mutely up at Steve. His reactions and wheezing breaths made Steve page the nurses station as he tried to get Danny to speak.

"Does something hurt? Are you sick? Danny, what's going on?"

As the sensation grew, Danny blurted out what was happening in a quick rush as he pointed to the bedding. His tone was a mixture of worry and hope. "There's something going on with my legs." Danny rubbed his achy chest by the healing wound as his voice grew more alarmed by the second.

"They feel funny .. like pins and needles .. near both my knees." He swallowed hard and his eyebrows raised in surprise as something buzzed oddly down his left calf muscle. "Ah .. and now down into my left leg ... near my ankle."

"Oh." Steve breathed out as he raised his finger to leave the room since the nurse was taking too long now. This was new and it felt _good_ but both of them were growing overly excited. Whirling around in a dazed circle, Steve took two rapid steps back towards the bed and then a few seconds to lower its head back down.

"Ah .. okay .. I'll go get help. Does it hurt though .. are you feeling alright?"

Danny's eyes were filled with a stunned confusion but he almost laughed at Steve's nearly constipated expression. "No. And I guess so. But I don't know if this is good .. or bad. I think its good, right?"

"Yeah, it's good!" With a quick agreeable nod, Steve's eyes were shining excitedly as he jogged from the room only to come back moments later with the night attending physician and a nurse. Sweat had beaded on Danny's forehead as the tingling sensations continued and he'd already moved the blankets off to stare at his knees. Steve growled an aggravated warning because he knew what Danny was experimenting with.

"Can't you just wait five minutes?" The night attending physician smiled soothingly and then pulled out a few basic instruments. The bed had been fully raised once more, and Steve yanked the remote from his fingers to lower it more comfortably.

"Knock it off, Danny!" The response was an almost petulant look that only supported Steve's very correct assumption. "Just .. wait!"

"We're going to check your reflexes." The new doctor stated after checking Danny's most current readings and bedside chart. Taking the bedside remote from Steve, he began to recline the head of the bed himself.

"But before I do, I need you to hear one key thing ... my initial opinion is that the sensation is a very positive change. However, the reflex tests may still appear to be negative. So by no means is what I'm doing conclusive. Don't be too concerned if nothing happens; it's all part of the healing process."

He waited until Danny nodded his understanding, but he was daring to relax just slightly as the doctor lowered the bed nearly all the way down. The tests were thorough but painless and Danny was left feeling exhausted but very happy. Small pen marks were made on each of Danny's legs where he thought the tingling began and ended.

While he couldn't necessarily feel anything more in his lower legs, he had regained sensation down to his knees. Using one of his more blunt instruments, the doctor nodded when he elicited a subtle flexor response on the sole of Danny's left foot. But his right foot was what he called indifferent.

Danny was still vibrating from excitement as the doctor raised the bed to a gentle slope and insisted that he drink water in an attempt to relax.

"This is .. promising. It's exactly what we want to see. But any more activity this early will cause a flare up - including your little attempts at trying to do more." The doctor smirked when he noticed Steve's "_I told you so_" look.

"You've already been given the steroids for inflammation, but I'm definitely prescribing an analgesic now for any pain."

Danny had remained shaken through the tests and was perhaps, now sweating even more as sharp aches flared through his lower back. He and Steve shared a pleased look before Danny closed his eyes against a sharper pain.

"Wow." He murmured to himself as he quickly rubbed at his chest. But it was a not so subtle reaction even the doctor had seen and he frowned as he pulled back the blanket he had just replaced to check the chest wound. And then with some finagling, checked Danny's lower back.

"Everything seems fine. But we did quite a bit just now .. some pain is normal ... but if the medication doesn't fit the bill within fifteen minutes, let me know please." With a kind smile, the doctor laughed at their happy faces. "I'll call Doctor Ober personally now and share the good news. He'll definitely want to know."

Danny eventually calmed a few minutes after he'd been given the additional pain medication. With his eyes closed, he concentrated on the flitting tingling sensations in both legs. He had promised not to try and move, and truth be told he was too exhausted to even attempt it. But Steve didn't believe him as he watched Danny's jaw clench.

"I hope you're listening to the man." Steve noted quietly as he got more water for Danny to drink. He wound up holding the bottom of the paper cup as Danny nearly drenched the front of his hospital gown.

"I guess this wasn't the good news Rachel had mentioned?" Amusement and interest were sparkling in Steve's eyes as Danny admitted that what had just happened was definitely more.

"No, the latest test results are great though. The swelling is down even more and Ober mentioned getting out of this bed tomorrow. Even if it's in a wheelchair. We were talking about release in a couple of days at most .. and then rehab." Danny hadn't yet been permitted to sit up to even hang his legs over the side of the bed. Moving forward like this was a big, positive step in the right direction.

Steve chuffed a very pleased sound and put a congratulatory palm on Danny's shoulder. A grin widened his face as Danny closed his eyes in order to take a deep calming breath before sharing an exuberant smile of his own.

What he saw though was raspberry and being waved about an inch from his nose.

"I saved you a Jello cup."

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	17. Chapter 17

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **You do know it had to happen right? Just a tiny bit .. maybe I should apologize?

**Chapter Seventeen**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

More than one full week later, Danny was awkwardly standing on his own two feet. Feeling had come back completely, but he was still healing plus his motor control and balance were both on the weak side. Still reliant on a wheelchair or walker for the majority of the time, he had been released and was on a regular schedule of in-hospital rehab. And progress was moving ahead in leaps and bounds as he pushed himself diligently during every therapy session. In the privacy of the house, he'd work on basic balance and a variety of strengthening exercises .. some of which sounded tedious, but in actuality were particularly helpful.

Anxious to keep moving, Danny had voluntarily signed up for the earliest morning therapy sessions. He was done now as the room began to get busy with other later morning clients. The early sessions also appealed to Steve. Not only because he was an early riser himself, but he could drop Danny back off at the house and then have a few hours at the office as things got back to normal.

Any negative swirl with Internal Affairs had died a natural death as well. The Governor wasn't the only one pleased with the outcome of the standard findings which had now run their course and been filed away. Steve and Clint Sanderson were back at their respective jobs; Chin was on desk duty and Kono was actively fielding a new case that she and Steve had plans to follow up on later in the afternoon.

And at that moment, the wheelchair was off to the side and Danny was nearing the end of his morning session. He was standing on his own; albeit between the guiding hands of Mel Stanton, his physical therapist. Having done extensive work on a recumbent elliptical bike and a series of new Pilates exercises in the session, Danny had unexpectedly asked to stop. Feeling more tired than usual, Danny admitted to possibly overdoing some work at home. His goal now was a simple walk over to his wheelchair so he could call it a day.

"You're going to sleep after this." Mel joked as Danny wiped sweat from his face and he noticed the mildly shaking hands he assumed to be from muscle fatigue. "I'd suggest nothing for the rest of today. Less is sometimes more, my friend."

Danny chuckled and nodded as a slight wave of nausea rippled through his stomach. His sleep had been badly disrupted the night before by uncomfortable healing pains in his back. He was paying for the restless night now and had the sneaky suspicion that he would have been better off postponing that morning's therapy session.

"In fact, come back tomorrow but only for time in the whirlpool. That could do you a world of good if you are overdoing it like you say, Danny."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Danny readily agreed to the soothing idea of sitting in the warm, jetted water. Frowning, he shook his head as his vision clouded and he nearly lost his balance. Mel was quick on his game though as he grabbed Danny's elbow and then was quizzical as he measured his complexion which seemed a bit more pale.

"How about you wait here and I'll get the chair for you?"

But at that point, his goal was only a few feet away and Danny only offered Mel a quick grin. "Nope, I got this."

"It wasn't necessarily a choice I was giving you." Mel drawled as he firmly held Danny's arm and waited for him to securely get his bearings. "You're going to stay here while I get the chair."

Through his fingers, Mel could still feel the tiny tremors and he continued to wait. He watched Danny glance towards the door and followed the quick look. His friend, Steve had shown up a few minutes early and was loitering in the corner of the room. With restrictions on walking, driving, picking things up, bending and what Danny jokingly called "_anything reasonably normal_", he was recuperating at his partner's house. Mel would speak to him about ensuring his client did absolutely nothing but rest that afternoon.

"How are you doing, Danny?" Mel was concerned as Danny closed his eyes briefly and he took a stronger hold of his arm. He was sure something was definitely wrong now and it had nothing to do with muscle fatigue. But Danny certainly didn't expect the severe dizzy spell that he couldn't even warn Mel about.

"Mel?" He coughed uncomfortably as his throat constricted and he paused to rub his chest. Unable to swallow, a strong feeling of weakness washed through his body and he lost his voice.

"Danny? Are you okay? Danny!" Mel sounded far away and his words faded alarmingly to white noise as the blood rushed in Danny's ears. Unable to lift his head, Danny kept his eyes closed as another nauseating wave of dizziness rocked his senses and his knees buckled. Two sturdy arms circled his chest as Mel intercepted what would have been a hard fall to the ground.

"I need help here!"

His fingers clenched just once on Mel's forearm as a strong pain shot through his lower back; and that was the last thing Danny remembered.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	18. Chapter 18

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **posting because my friend, Isa asked so very nicely! LOL! ;-) though we are trading one cliffie for another .. oops! I may have forgotten to mention that part.

**Chapter Eighteen**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

The unexpected sound of Mel's cursed oath and subsequent shout for help brought Steve running as Danny lay crumpled on the floor.

"What happened?" Steve demanded as he cradled Danny's head.

"I have no idea. We were just about done. He was fine .. and then he wasn't." Mel was already on his knees checking Danny's pulse and respiration. Another therapist had also paged a doctor to the room since the PT department adjoined the main hospital building.

"He seemed dizzy .. he complained about being more tired this morning than usual. At first Danny admitted to maybe doing too much at home. And then he said he was up most of the night too. His back was sore." Mel made a face as Steve simply stared at him in surprise. It was obvious that the man didn't know about any of what he'd just explained.

"I don't like this. His respiration is really shallow."

"Danny?" The therapist was practically in his face as he failed at rousing him. "I have no idea what just happened." He was upset as he gently rearranged Danny's arms and legs to roll him completely on his back. A towel was propped under Danny's head to replace Steve's hands.

Careful of unseen injuries, Danny was moved to a stretcher and then to a private exam room. Steve and Mel both stayed with him until Doctor Ramirez strode in and went straight for the unconscious man.

Without being prompted, Mel quickly explained Danny's evident confusion and resulting weakness. "He was tired today but we also did some new routines so it all may have just been a bit too much. Just as we were finishing, he seemed to lose his balance. It was as if he was having a dizzy spell .. he never answered me. And then he passed out."

"When was his last round of medications?" Mel looked expectantly to Steve who then stumbled over his words. Between the two of them, a few previously unknown and new tidbits of information were coming to light.

"He hasn't had them yet." Ramirez turned around quickly with an angry glare. And Steve literally backed up one full step in apology.

"We had to be here early and he wanted breakfast after the session .. and he can't take the meds without eating." Steve was upset as he tried to explain away the error. But it was starting to make sense now and he sighed.

"Danny woke up out of sorts this morning. He said that he wasn't hungry. And then the PT is only for 45 minutes ... it seemed okay to wait."

Patting his pockets, Steve pulled two pill bottles from his cargo pants. "I have them right here!"

"Fat lot of good they do in your damn pocket!" Ramirez's voice rose in aggravation as he yanked the small blood pressure unit over. "My best guess is a severe muscle spasm in his back or legs and he's simply lost consciousness from the pain."

The doctor was annoyed and Steve ran his hands through his hair to make it stick up in various directions. He watched impatiently as Ramirez plunged his stethoscope into his ears and then pumped up the cuff. Moments later he was physically looking for head injuries to be sure Danny hadn't banged his himself. A few minutes following the basic exam, Danny's brow furrowed uncomfortably and his legs jerked up in a delayed reaction.

"Danny .. are you back with us now?" Ramirez was patting his cheeks and rubbing his hand as his eyes finally opened in confusion.

"What .. happened?" He croaked out as he looked into the doctor's still very disgusted face.

"You could have hurt yourself .. you fool." Ramirez wasn't holding back on his level of aggravation as he rechecked his patient's pulse rate. "You fainted."

The sarcastic tone he used on the last two words was intentional and Danny frowned before running one very shaky hand over his face. He vaguely remembered an incredible spike of hot pain that had slammed through his back and then weakened his entire body.

"I .. what?" Trying to get up, the room spun dizzily and Danny groaned as Ramirez pushed his shoulders back down firmly.

"Muscle spasm? Do you remember anything before .. you fainted?" If it had been anyone else, Danny would have had a nasty remark about being told he had fainted, not once but twice. Instead he shook his head and merely shrugged before giving out with a small cough.

"No. Yes, I think so. I felt .. dizzy .. exhausted .. I can't swallow." Danny admitted as he accepted the doctor's verbal thrashing. The pain was a distant memory and he couldn't figure out if it had really happened. But he was still having trouble breathing as he rubbed uncomfortably at his chest and throat.

"It's .. hard to .. breathe." Closing his eyes, Danny coughed and then wheezed in a small rattling breath. His throat felt smaller and constricted. His short answer and his physical complaints made Ramirez scowl unhappily as he snared Danny's wrist again.

"Have you been doing too much perhaps?" The doctor could easily guess that his patient was over-eager to fully recuperate. And Mel's description about being fatigued and then experiencing potential muscle spasms would make complete sense. It would be the most likely of all side effects from his overachieving patient, but now he was becoming more concerned as things simply didn't add up.

Mel snorted and tossed a disgusted hand in his client's direction. Now that the adrenalin had worn off, he was almost embarrassed and still frightened by the incident. "You should both know better than to come off a medication schedule."

"What?" Danny objected. "I'm not .. I didn't." Bewildered by the three angry faces, he still was trying to understand what had happened. And for some reason, he was incredibly worn out and surprised to find his eyes drifting shut as he sucked in a shallow thread of air.

"We'll have none of that." Ramirez demanded as he glowered at the unexpected reaction and then considered Danny's initial and very confusing reply. Grabbing a small portable oxygen tank, the doctor positioned the mask over Danny's face.

"He _thinks_ he felt pain? He can't breathe? This is not the result of a muscle spasm." Baffled by the symptoms, the doctor now definitely didn't like what he was seeing or hearing. Only partially aware and even confused, Danny seemed to be trying to swallow and his breathing had become erratic.

"Danny. Keep your eyes open. Can you describe the pain?" Completely at a loss, he glanced to Steve and then back down to Danny who seemed more than just a bit worn out from a rough physical therapy session.

"They are .. open." He slurred up at the doctor's blurry face. His voice was faint and muffled under the mask as he wheezed in a small breath. "What .. pain?"

"Has this happened before?" He turned back and growled a warning at Danny this time, adding a shake for emphasis as his eyes lost focus and threatened to slide shut again. "Danny, for god's sake .. wake up. Stay awake for me." But Danny was out and non-responsive to the doctor's persistent urgings.

"What the hell?" Ramirez groused as he readjusted his stethoscope and pumped up the blood pressure cuff for a second time.

"No, this never happened." Worried more than ever, Steve stood opposite the doctor on the other side of the gurney and tried his hand at waking Danny. "What's wrong with him?"

"His blood pressure .. is very low. Respiration is depressed. Pulse rate .. also very slow. I want him back in my E.R. now .. immediately." Ramirez was actively pulling and pushing the gurney out of the PT exam room. Even though Steve was insisting that Danny had skipped that morning's medication, the doctor now had serious doubts. With Steve and Mel trotting alongside and lending a hand, they moved rapidly through the buildings and back to the TAMC emergency trauma area.

While they were moving, Danny's hand strayed upwards and Steve found himself locked with hazy and very bewildered blue eyes.

"Steve? Did it happen .. again?" The words were barely audible and Steve swallowed hard as he grabbed Danny's fingers to push them back down to the gurney. His hand was cold, much too clammy and his comforting pressure was not returned as he'd expected. His color had worsened and he seemed to be having even more trouble catching his breath.

"Yeah, something's maybe a little wrong." Steve muttered worriedly. "Danny? Does anything hurt .. did you take some sort of medication I don't know about?"

But Danny had faded once more and Steve nearly blurted out the warning to Ramirez. "Ponch! What the hell is going on?"

"A possible overdose." Ramirez pulled them all into an open trauma room and immediately swapped Danny's small, portable oxygen tank for a better system which he opened up wide. An IV line for fluids soon followed before he continued his new diagnosis.

"He's hypotensive. I know that much. His heart rate is very slow; his respiration is still depressed. Yes .. he very well could have overdosed."

Steve's expression completely changed to one of shock as Ramirez's words sank into his brain. "An overdose? On what?"

Holding his hand out to Steve, he demanded the medications. "Give me those pill bottles. When did he take these last?"

"After dinner .. last night. I gave them to him myself. Every four to six hours. He's been getting by just fine on six hours. He hasn't taken them this morning!" Steve tossed his hands up in the air in exasperation and against the furious glare as Ramirez opened up both bottles onto a paper towel on the counter.

There was a muffled curse from the doctor though when he saw two jagged half Morphine pills tumble into the pile. "When did he do this? These are extended release tablets and should never be cut in half!"

Steve helplessly shrugged because he honestly didn't know; but he did know there were no broken pills in the bottle after dinner.

"He could have done that sometime during the night or early morning." Steve had been leaving the bottles on the dresser near the bed for Danny in case he needed them overnight. He rubbed his face and looked at Mel. "He said he had a bad night?"

The therapist nodded unhappily. "He said his back hurt .. he didn't get much sleep .. but he never mentioned taking any medication."

"I guess he did though." Steve muttered to himself. It was something he had never considered himself but he thought he already knew the right answer. However, he needed the doctor to actually say it verbally to be sure.

"Why is this bad exactly?" Turning back to face Ramirez's angry stance, Steve was now sure he was already guessing the right answer. It was a common mistake that anyone could make .. and many people did .. with often dire consequences. By not listening to a pharmacist or reading the prescription literature, a person could essentially overdose themselves on a medication meant to be released slowly into the body. And Steve groaned as the doctor confirmed what he was finally beginning to understand.

"The extended-release formulations should not be broken in half, crushed, or chewed. They absorb much faster into the blood stream and the dose becomes toxic. And Danny did it twice - not once. He has definitely managed to overdose himself and has severely depressed his respiratory system." Rummaging through his pockets, Ramirez pulled out a set of keys for an emergency medical cabinet that held a number of vials. Choosing one, he pushed it into the I.V. line and opened the fluid drip wide. Checking his watch, he readied another dose of whatever he'd taken from the cabinet.

"Is he going to be alright?" Watching his client struggle more under the oxygen mask, Mel was beginning to pace worriedly.

"I just gave him naloxone which I will give every 5 minutes at 1 to 2 mg until he stabilizes. It's akin to an antidote." The doctor than adjusted the flow of oxygen to make sure it was also fully open. His attitude entirely changed to a focused tension as he continually checked and then rechecked Danny's respiration rate and blood pressure.

Sweat dotted his forehead and Danny's breath began to rattle as he sucked in another heaving gasp of air under the oxygen mask. The doctor's concern was obvious as he began the life-saving treatment and he glanced only once towards Steve to offer a final explanation.

"Basically .. he's suffocating."

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	19. Chapter 19

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Chapter Nineteen**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Steve paced in a tight, worried circle at the foot of the bed. Danny was still unconscious and taking very slow and much too shallow breaths under the oxygen mask. Not wanting to leave, but only in the way, Mel was nervously standing in the corridor while Doctor Ramirez alternated between stethoscope, heart monitor and blood pressure cuff. Other than the rasping sounds under the oxygen mask, the silence was deafening during the 5 minute intervals that Ramirez would patiently monitor Danny's vital signs and inject another small dose of naloxone.

At Ramirez's demand, a nurse had drawn two vials of blood and sent them urgently to the lab. More would be taken at another pre-defined interval to ensure that the medicine's toxicity was properly leaving Danny's system.

It was more than an hour later when Danny finally opened his eyes but he seemed unable to focus on Ramirez's face. The doctor scowled as he gave Danny a few more minutes to center on his surroundings. And then he angrily slapped his patient's hand away from the mask that was firmly settled across his face.

"It stays." Ramirez threatened the deep warning and Danny let his hand drop limply to the gurney in confusion. He was in a room that he didn't recognize. His doctor was furious with him and Danny wasn't even sure why he was looking up at the big man when the last thing he remembered was getting dizzy towards the end of his PT session.

As he finally became more aware, the second thing he noticed was Steve's face. Filled with a fearful anxiety, one hand was plastered in his hair where he fisted the top into a tight spiky wad. He sighed with relief and then smoothed it down as Danny's eyes settled on his own.

"Umm." Forehead creased, Danny's voice was muffled as he looked from Steve back to Ramirez. "What's going on?"

Steve was the first to speak as he approached the bed and waggled the morphine bottle in Danny's face. "When did you take this last?"

Glassy-eyed, Danny frowned until he realized what the bottle held. He gently rubbed his chest as an uncomfortable tightness began to ease, though he found that he was oddly wheezing and feeling breathless. It took some more time for his head to clear and for him to recall that he'd woken in the middle of the night in pain.

"I broke one in half sometime during the night." The loud huffed sound from Doctor Ramirez made him pause and growing uneasy, Danny slowly continued his explanation.

"And then this morning, I had another half around 6 A.M. I guess .. I think .. while you were swimming .. with my coffee. My back hurt but I didn't think that I needed a whole one .. so I broke the pills in half. I was going to take my usual dose after breakfast around 11 or 12 .. or so. Why?" His voice trailed off as Ramirez bounced on his toes in complete aggravation. "Why? What's going on?"

Steve's eyes were dark with worry and instead of answering his friend, he merely shook his head for the doctor's benefit. Completely at a loss, Steve nearly walked from the room. "I didn't know. I had no idea!"

The doctor ground his jaw angrily as he forced himself to logically explain what had happened in a calm tone. "Did anyone ever explain to you, that these should specifically not ever be broken in half like that? Do you understand what could have happened if you had taken another dose only four or so hours later after breakfast?"

But it was clear that Danny didn't remember that specifically, so he only shrugged. "No. But is that why I got dizzy?"

"Dizzy?" Steve's disgusted snort was by now, not the first clue that a tirade was about to start. He'd finally stopped pacing to stand at the foot of the gurney, but he was just as upset as his voice rose loudly. "Dizzy? You call what happened ... a case of being dizzy? Danny, you nearly killed yourself."

"I'm sure I didn't." Taking exception to his partner's words, Danny was almost defensive. But his own feeling of doubt was creeping in as he looked at each face. Steve's attitude continued to say otherwise and turning his head, he could see Mel anxiously standing in the doorway. "I just got dizzy."

"That's not so much of an exaggeration actually, Danny." Ramirez replied dryly added; his smirk confirmed the truth of the words. "Not not too much of one at all. You accidentally overdosed yourself."

Adamantly screwing his finger into Danny's shoulder, he made his point very clear. "You cannot break these morphine pills in half. You nearly suffocated - your respiratory system almost stopped working."

"I .. what?" The shocked expression on Danny's face reconfirmed the honest ignorance of his mistake. The remaining halves were of different sizes too. So the odd doses he'd exposed himself too were definitely problematic. Dumping the pills back into his hand, Ramirez plucked out the damaged medication and tossed them into a separate small cup that he hid on the counter. Ramirez sighed again and closed his eyes before starting over with his explanation.

"Never again. Don't ever do this again, do you hear me." Danny nodded. Still a bit confused, his mind was clearing enough to realize that the idea had gotten him quite ill.

"Okay." Danny breathed out slowly. No longer dizzy, he also felt warmer and the shaking feeling had mostly gone away, too. Squirming up to his elbows on the gurney, he looked at the doctor and rubbed his chest from a lingering tightness.

"So. Can I go home now?"

"Can he go home he says!" Ramirez was astounded by the innocent gall of the question. Disgusted, worried and taken aback at the same time, the doctor shoved his hands into the depths of his coat pockets. Steve wasn't doing much better but he slammed his mouth shut as the competent doctor took over.

"No. No, you may not go home."

Completely drained by what was going on, Danny thumped back down onto the table. The doctor's eyes were fairly blazing in anger and he could only stare up and take the tongue lashing in stride. With one finger still wedged firmly into Danny's shoulder, Ramirez made his point crystal clear as each punctuated statement flew from his mouth. And when he finished, Danny absently rubbed his shoulder where he knew a bruise was already forming.

"You are staying here at least another two hours hooked up to that IV so we can flush your system. You will have more blood drawn and tested. The oxygen stays .. that I.V. stays .. and you, sir .. you _**stay**_."

It turned out that two hours was the minimum. Doctor Ober had also been notified at that point and Danny had been subjected to another round of irate physician. Duly mollified, he accepted it well enough until each mutually agreed he could finally be released.

Ramirez signed the papers after one additional and very thorough check of Danny's vital signs. "Now you may go home, Detective. Go home and go directly to bed. Drink water to hydrate and flush your system. And do not .. I repeat .. do _**not**_ take any morphine or any other form of pain killer for the next twenty-four hours."

"He won't." Steve promised as he snatched both bottles back and put them in his pockets. "Twenty-four hours. Only the anti-inflammatories."

"Really? _Kettle black_, Commander?" Steve once again closed his mouth as the doctor now gave him a withering look. "You didn't know about halving the pills either before this happened. Did you?" And when Steve didn't answer or deny that fact, Ramirez focused his stare directly at Danny.

"And as for you .. I've already postponed your PT for the next two days as well. Bed rest only."

"Two days!?" Danny was indignant as he slowly swung his legs off the gurney where he rocked in place awkwardly. Steve wrapped his fingers firmly around his bicep to keep him upright as he regained his balance. Light-headed from the change in position, he still managed to pull out of Steve's grip as he waved his hand in total frustration.

"Bed rest? I"m perfectly fine .. that's not fair!"

"It's completely fair, Detective." And with a final glare, Ramirez then only shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. Turning on his heel, he refused to say another word to either man as he stalked out of the examination room. With an uncomfortable look, Mel also silently disappeared.

Toeing the wheelchair closer, Steve's voice was still full of stress as he gently transferred his friend off the gurney. "Let's go."

**~ to be continued ~**


	20. Chapter 20

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes:** thank you all for reading the latest adventure! and always to CinderH and JazzieG for fielding endless questions, ideas and (sorry) chapter revisions. the muses got loose again and always seem to come with something else after I swear it's all done .. ;-)

**Chapter Twenty**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Danny fell asleep on the way back to the house. He didn't wake when Steve got the wheelchair from the trunk. And then because of the persistent fatigue brought on by his accidental overdose and subsequent mini hospital stay, he barely acknowledged the help he received to move from the car.

He finally spoke as he lurched from the chair and into bed. "It was a mistake, Steve. I didn't know ... or didn't think."

"Okay." It was all Steve could say as he pushed a full glass of cold water into Danny's hands. Doctor Ramirez had been completely correct too; he had no knowledge of the dangers of breaking this particular medicine in half.

"I didn't know either." Steve admitted on a puff of exhaled air. But Steve thought he hadn't been that scared since the day Peterson had initiated the attack. When he heard the crash in the therapy room and Mel's shout, a myriad of frightening thoughts had gone through Steve's head. But then it had all become worse with Ponch's blunt diagnosis of "_he's suffocating_".

He had been completely wrong since it brought back memories of the sarin and now Steve only could only hand the glass to Danny with a few quiet orders of his own. "Drink all of that and get some rest. You're wiped."

Pausing, he lingered in the doorway. "You scared me .. really all three of us."

Steve sighed because it was a senseless comment and Danny hadn't meant to do anything of the sort to him, Mel or the doctor. By now, Danny too was also running through a gamut of emotions. First afraid of what he'd nearly done; and now on top of it all, he'd given himself quite a setback. He didn't know what he expected his few words to do, but he flinched as Danny's face took on a furious cast.

"It wasn't exactly intentional." Danny said as he angrily used one hand to slap the bed. Moody and now even becoming resentful, he'd had enough of discussing the unfortunate incident.

"I'm losing two entire days. Do you really think that I planned all of this?"

'Of course not." Steve muttered quietly. Sensing that Danny's patience had finally been stressed to its limits with everyone's personal opinion, he was treading now on a thin line as the rant began but then just as quickly, ended.

"Good. Because it wasn't .. and I didn't. It was a dumb mistake. But that's all it was." It was also obvious that Danny was tired and didn't feel well as he rubbed aimlessly at his chest. A mild cough made him scowl unhappily as he waved Steve away. "Just a mistake."

And so Steve left him to rest at that point because there was nothing more that needed to be shared or explained.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

His body remained lethargic for most of the day until sometime before dinner. Laying idly in bed, Danny eventually took stock of his various aches and pains. As usual, his healing back seemed to hurt the most from injured muscles which were finally getting more toned. But he had overdone it and sore was an understatement. He was annoyed with himself about the medication, and should have known better; but he was already moving past what had happened. The truth was that it was easier to move past what he'd accidentally done when compared to what Rick Peterson had nearly accomplished ... though either incident could have resulted in his death.

He was still tired too; completely exhausted from a bad nights sleep and then the impromptu medical intervention. The last thing he needed to do now was to drive himself crazy dwelling on Rick. Closing his eyes, Danny saw Peterson in his mind's eye and replayed every horrible moment with Grace. To that very day, he still couldn't grasp what had happened to his daughter and what he'd been forced to do in order to save her.

"And then you came back." His eyes flew open at the unbelievable shock as his heart hammered unmercifully in his chest. He had to remind himself that Steve and Kono had taken care of it; the man was gone now and he didn't have to worry. Grace had been safely hidden away in England. But the truth was that Rick could have .. and certainly would have .. done more if he'd been able. Danny didn't have a shadow of a doubt that part of the ex-cop's plan had somehow originally included getting to him through his daughter once again.

"You came back. But she wasn't here." Tears welled in his eyes at the thought and Danny forced himself to take deep, cleansing breaths until he realized that his hands were shaking. With a jolt, he swung himself quickly to seated position on the edge of the bed. He was still very tired, but certainly wasn't going to sleep anymore with the terrible memories and thoughts rattling around in his head. "Thank god she wasn't here."

The house was quiet and the natural light was dim as it came through the windows. It was almost soothing and Danny suddenly needed to move even if it meant going to the kitchen for a change of scenery. He needed to get Rick out of his head and his mind completely on anything else. Pulling himself to his feet, Danny slowly made his way out of the bedroom and to the kitchen where he leaned over the sink. He had to stop a few times on his way to maintain his balance or catch his breath, but the lingering thoughts of Peterson's vengeful hatred kept him moving.

With the odd rays of sunlight coming through the windows, his internal clock was thrown off by nearly a half day of bed-rest. With a weary sigh, he stared out the window and tried to figure out what time it was before fumbling around for a clean water glass. But his hands still held a subtle tremble and he wound up not filling the glass. Instead, he leaned his elbows on the counter and hung his head wearily between his hands.

Danny bit back a groan as a strong pain rippled through his back. He had to close his eyes as the pain roiled and then only slightly eased; the only benefit was that it distracted him completely from focusing on the dangerous man who had nearly taken his life. And when the deep numbing ache came a second time he realized his latest mistake. "Where's the damn wheelchair?"

"It's in the damn bedroom." His head flew up in surprise at the sound of Steve's voice because Danny didn't realize he was being watched from the doorway to the kitchen.

"Why aren't you in it?" Steve had seen his slowly moving shadow from the lanai; only glancing up from the case work he was reviewing. He recognized Danny's shape and was at first only pleased to see him finally awake. And then stunned, his eyes widened as he stumbled to his feet. In his haste to get inside, his coffee overturned across the file folder ruining all the paperwork but Steve's hand was already on the door knob back into the house. It took every ounce of self-control to slow down because he simply didn't need to scare his partner for the second time that day.

"You walked right past it, Danny." Steve chided softly with just a small hint of sarcasm. He said it very softly so that he wouldn't startle him completely, but Steve's eyes widened even more as his partner swayed and clutched the counter top for support.

"Chair?" The one word came out from between clenched teeth and Steve had one positioned for Danny to sink into just as his knees gave out. "These are .. most definitely .. muscle spasms." And then before Steve could even think to say a word, a warning finger slammed up into his face.

"I do _**not** _want to hear a single word out of your mouth." He grimaced as another spasm made him slightly hunch over. As promised, Steve stayed quiet only to leave the kitchen and return with two basic ibuprofen tablets which he shoved into Danny's hand.

"Hold on to these and I'll make something to eat. Then take them. It's late and you haven't had anything all day."

"I'm not hungry." Danny complained as he accepted the medication. But still wincing, he only hung his head lower as if still expecting another sermon. He was undoubtedly annoyed when he voiced what he assumed Steve was going to remind him of yet again.

"And before you say it. I know, Steven. No need for a lecture."

Steve leaned against the counter and folded his arms patiently. It was good but also startling to see Danny up and about because his most current activity had been saved primarily for his therapy sessions where he still needed aid and someone's supportive hands. So his reply was truthful but quietly stated. "I wasn't going to say anything. Except that it was a complete accident that could happen to anyone."

A helplessly foolish grin was now building across his face though. "But I do have to admit that I didn't expect to see you here .. in the kitchen. Standing ... alone .. over there .. by the sink."

Steve's sly tone was enough to make Danny hesitate entirely. "You were a bit off balance from what I could see. But you did just fine."

"They aren't to know. I don't need Ober or Ramirez chasing me down for another stupid over-sight." Pleased but achy, Danny made a small, happy sound as he realized the magnitude of his accomplishment. His grin grew exponentially until Steve pointed back towards the direction of the bedroom.

"How could you not see the wheelchair, Danny? It's right there in the corner by the bed." As the smile unexpectedly faltered, the odd non-committal shrug made Steve shake his head in confusion. Danny's eyes took on a sad light and they clearly said that something else was weighing heavily on his mind. It was obvious that he had been deep in thought .. and maybe even still was ... as Steve measured his expression.

"Is there something else wrong?" Steve asked the question at the same time Danny was already denying the fact.

"No, not any more." The words were spoken with a harsh finality which was a direct clue to their meaning. And though he wanted to push, for some reason Steve chose not to try. There was another aspect to Danny's face that asked for space .. time .. and maybe a great deal more patience. So Steve merely nodded at the almost cryptic reply.

"Okay. Fine. But .. two days off." Glancing at Danny's legs and scowling at the glimmer of pain he saw, Steve was adamant. "Two days off .. using the wheelchair. You're in pain now!"

The warning tilt to Danny's head proved too that he certainly didn't appreciate or feel that he needed to be reminded of the gaff. He was making his own private vows to purge Peterson from his mind and focusing specifically on getting better would be his first priority.

"And I said no more lectures." Danny's tone was almost huffy as his eyes narrowed and he repeated himself for Steve's benefit. "And what happened just now is our secret. They aren't to know."

"Two!" Determinedly, Steve kept his fingers held meaningfully up in the air. He glared at his friend when Danny couldn't hold back on yet another flicker of pain. "Two days .. complete and total rest .. no over-doing _anything_. The wheelchair is a must and I don't care how good you might feel."

To prove his point, Steve stalked from the kitchen to retrieve the wheelchair which Danny willingly transferred to from the hard kitchen chair. He sighed in relief as the elevated footrests took the burden of any added strain off his legs and tweaked back muscles.

"Two days." Danny agreed with a final wave of his hand. "But then I'm calling Mel."

With a pleased smile returning to his face, he settled into the wheelchair. He could wait two days and deal with using a wheelchair in the short-term. In fact, he could wait a month .. even two months .. especially since it meant the complete recovery that Ober now confirmed. Danny looked up from his latest pensive musings to find Steve glaring at him.

"No, you couldn't, Danno. You are not a patient man!"

He only stared back though as he chewed on another idea. Because it could easily work and it made total sense. If things continued as well as he anticipated, he could be back at work in just a few more weeks .. or _days_ and his eyebrows lifted curiously at the thought.

In fact, he could just as easily sit at his desk at Five-0 Headquarters with Chin to manage a few hours of desk duty. The wheelchair was just the right height for the desk and he'd be able to work on any variety of interesting tasks. Unconsciously, Danny's lips twitched into a subtle grin as his eyes lost some of their focus and his brow squinted suspiciously.

"No!" He was startled as Steve interrupted his private scheming. He was giving him a knowing, sideways look, and Danny immediately screwed up his mouth defensively. Index finger held high, Steve arched his own eyebrows in warning but he was wholly unable to cover up a genuine smile.

"You aren't cleared yet, pal."

Folding his arms belligerently across his chest, Danny tried to scowl back with a firm set to his jaw before finally giving in to a soft laugh. "Stop. Doing. That."

**~ END ~**


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